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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24783655">Rise of the Decepticons - Prequel: Origins</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrystineDecepticon/pseuds/CrystineDecepticon'>CrystineDecepticon</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Rise of the Decepticons [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Transformers (Cartoon Generation One), The Transformers (IDW Generation One), Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers Generation One</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Action/Adventure, Gen, Heroic Decepticons, Pilot Episode, Prequel, Retelling, decepticon-centric, origins story</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 09:28:47</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>26,304</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24783655</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrystineDecepticon/pseuds/CrystineDecepticon</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p><span class="u">Heroic Decepticons AU</span>. Retelling, Decepticon-centric. First in a new series: <em>Rise of the Decepticons</em>. In this pilot episode, we discover how and why the Decepticons came into being.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Rise of the Decepticons [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1792567</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>All of my fan fiction, including this pilot episode and the <em>Rise of the Decepticons</em> series, is contained within the Heroic Decepticons Alternate Universe. To learn more about the <strong>Heroic Decepticons</strong>, please see my profile page.</p><p>Original publish date: 24 October 2016.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Prologue</strong>
</p><p>9 million years ago…</p><p><em>Legend has it that our planet was originally a cold, lifeless rock. Legend also tells us that an ancient and powerful race of humanoid beings, explorers and powerful creators, transformed our world.</em> <em> Deep at its centre was the well of the All Sparks, which was guarded by Vector Sigma, the sentient super computer. From it, the first Transformer was created – a mechanical, sentient being that was able to change his size and form at will. He was named Primus. Then, all other Cybertronian life forms were created after him.</em></p><p>
  <em>The first generation of Cybertronians were separated into two classes; the labourers, and the administrators. The labourers were the workers, if you will, or the providers; their primary function was to ensure that their society ran smoothly and that all the needs of its mechanistic inhabitants were met. The administrators held positions of power, overseeing law and order.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>These Transformers were a monumental success for our creators – artificial life forms that were highly sophisticated and technically flawless, possessing a level of intelligence and humanoid-like behaviour that was unsurpassed, and unmatched, throughout the galaxy. They were loyal to their alien creators, and obeyed them willingly. And so, in this way, the planet was at peace for many eons.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>But, as time went on, Cybertron and its inhabitants became the envy of many spacefaring races. As a result, battles ensued as they attempted to lay claim on our world. This led to the need for a more physically powerful, military class of Transformer that would be able to defend Cybertron from any invasion, and so our creators built many of our kind. We became known as the Destrons – identical in almost every way to the first Cybertronians, except that we lacked the same loyalty and sense of connectedness to the original creators.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Instead, we were programmed to obey our predecessors, the majority of whom were subsequently designated Autobots to distinguish their kind from ours. However, the Autobots saw us as their subordinates, and regarded us as inferior in both our level of sentience, and our spark will. We were given fewer rights and freedoms, and were always the first to be sacrificed in battle against our mutual enemies.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Then, one day, during a severe planet-wide energy shortage, our creators abandoned Cybertron to begin anew on other worlds. The Autobots and Destrons struggled to survive and, eventually, wars broke out between the two factions. With our creators now gone, the Autobots lacked the same power of influence to keep us under their control, and so we rebelled against their dominion.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Throughout the eons that followed, many Destron groups emerged, and many regimes rose and fell, as they fought against not only other Destrons, but also against Autobot rule.</em>
</p><p><em>Then, eventually, one Destron group emerged triumphant above all the others under the guidance and direction of one unlikely leader </em> <em>whose rise to power came when it was needed most.</em> <em> His name is Megatron, and his loyal supporters became known as the Decepticons.</em></p><p>
  <em>This is our story.</em>
</p><p>Starscream, Decepticon Air Commander</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>A crew of six Destron Transformers stood around the work site near Crystal City, appraising the near-complete tower that they had been commissioned to build. They were predominately purple and green in color, and sported individual alternate modes that reflected their particular functions.</p><p>Their team leader, Scrapper, had been studying the architectural drawings that had been given to him by Grapple, the Autobots’ chief architect, but he had since switched the display on his data pad over to a set of very different schematics.</p><p>“What are those plans for?” asked Scavenger, who stood beside Scrapper looking over his shoulder at the display. As their mining and salvage expert, he had just returned from a salvage operation at a nearby work site, retrieving pieces of precious materials that had been carelessly left behind by the recent demolition works in the area before it was cleared in preparation for a new construction project.</p><p>“Hm?” Scrapper said, only half listening. He was a talented engineer, though his team mates felt that he rarely received the recognition that he deserved. Such a lack of recognition for Destron capabilities was very typical of their Autobot guardians.</p><p>“Those plans; I was just wondering what they were for?” Scavenger repeated patiently.</p><p>Scrapper turned to look at him. “Oh. Just a little something I came up with the other day.” His friend waited expectantly, eager to know more. “It’s kind of a way of combining all our strengths together to form a more powerful unit. It’ll probably never work, though.” One of the Autobots nearby looked over at the two and began to slowly walk towards them, so Scrapper quickly turned off the display. “We’d better get back to work,” he said. Scavenger nodded, not wanting to draw any unnecessary attention to his team mates, and left the engineer alone as he went to conduct a geological survey of the terrain.</p><p>Mixmaster, their materials fabricator, began to sort through the load of mixed metals that Scavenger had left for him to process into brand new materials. The Autobot walked past them without saying a word, but gave them a cursory glance. As soon as he was out of audio range, Mixmaster commented to Scrapper, “I bet he’s probably wondering when we’re going to finally quit and join the other Destrons.”</p><p>The construction robots were a close-knit team who always stayed together. Joining one of the rebellious Destron groups in an official show against Autobot rule would place them into an uncertain position. Residing in Iacon, their Autobot supervisors employed their extensive skills and expertise and, in return, treated them with a greater level of respect than the more rebellious Destrons. Indeed, the Autobots had their own engineers and architects, but the Destron team had proven to be just as sophisticated as them – if not more so – both in technical skill and in creativity. This had been an unforeseen outcome when they were created, and so the Autobots had been eager to ensure that they remained under their guardianship.</p><p>“I’ve been thinking…” Scrapper replied.</p><p>“What, about him?” Mixmaster said half-jokingly, gesturing towards the Autobot, who had his back turned to them as he inspected one of the newly installed support pylons.</p><p>“No, Mixer. About the rebels.” When he didn’t comment any further, Mixmaster gave him an expectant look, but Scrapper simply shrugged.</p><p>“What about them?” the fabricator prodded, not wanting to drop the subject. The truth was that Mixmaster had discussed this very same subject with Long Haul, their logistics expert, but they had been too hesitant to bring it up with Scrapper.</p><p>“I was just wondering, you know; whether they have what it takes to stand against the Autobots.  For one thing, they’re supremely outnumbered…” Scrapper thought about the recent events that had been reported on their local news channel. The Destron uprisings were beginning to have a huge impact on the planet’s inhabitants, the various factions becoming an ever-increasing concern for the Autobots.</p><p>“Yeah, but Destrons are stronger. That ought to count for something.” Demolishor, having listened in on their conversation, was eager to offer his view point. He was usually the first among them to rely on brute force when it came to getting anything done; this was no surprise, considering he was the team’s demolitions specialist.</p><p>“Well, we can’t just abandon this project. We’ve got to finish this tower. Besides, I wouldn’t want to join up with any of the existing Destron groups – they’re worse than the Autobots,” Scrapper told them bluntly. Unfortunately, he was right and, with nothing more to say on the matter, they all returned to work.</p><p> </p><p>* * *</p><p> </p><p>Kolkular, the fortress capital located within Kaon, served as Liege Maximus’ base of operations. From here, he commanded his legion of Destrons, a rebel group who opposed the established Autobot-controlled government of their home planet. They possessed a power and strength that remained unchallenged by other rebel groups, and the Liege was considered to be the Destrons’ supreme ruler on Cybertron. His closest rival, and almost his equal, was Lord Straxus, who had seized control of the city-state of Polyhex and had imposed his rule upon its inhabitants, after the former head of state had been assassinated by a group of Autobot elite.</p><p>The Liege Maximus was a large, terrifying robot of mysterious origin, feared even by his most loyal followers. To the Liege, anyone was fair game – whether Autobot or Destron – he did not hesitate to terminate those who dared oppose him, however minor their transgressions. Most of his soldiers served him out of fear, rather than out of a sense of loyalty or faith in his leadership. He despised the Autobots, in particular, and all they stood for, and longed to take control of Cybertron for himself while exterminating all who would not submit to his demands, or those who he simply thought of as weak or unworthy.</p><p>The Liege’s second in command, Jhiaxus, was just as cruel and calculating as his superior – if not more so. He harboured a deep desire to destroy all those opposed to the regime but, in particular, craved ultimate power over all others – including over the Liege himself.</p><p>“Jhiaxus!” Maximus called from his throne room, impatient. “Is the new warship completed?”</p><p>“No, Liege; we are still lacking necessary components, but once those have been sourced it will only be a matter of time before–” Jhiaxus tried to explain as he entered the private chamber, his tone cold and calculating.</p><p>The Liege would not tolerate any further delays, regardless of his subordinate’s best efforts to appease him. “Silence!” He growled. “Those parts should have already been sourced. I don’t care how many Autobots you have to tear to pieces to get them,” he said spitefully. Then his tone changed. “Bring the Air Commander to me.”</p><p>“Yes, Liege,” Jhiaxus said, bowing before leaving the Liege’s presence.</p><p>Several minutes later, the Air Commander entered the room. He approached the Liege with caution, recalling the last time he had been summoned to the throne room without warning. “You called for me, Liege?” the tall seeker greeted him, remaining a safe distance from the war lord’s oversized form.</p><p>“Starscream,” the Liege acknowledged, “I’m disappointed in you.” His voice was low, deceptively calm.</p><p>Starscream tried to remain emotionless. He knew what was coming, and involuntarily took a step backwards. “Liege?”</p><p>The large mechanoid moved menacingly closer to the red, blue and grey seeker. “You incompetent fool!” he roared suddenly. “Did I not order you to keep a lookout for drones?” he reminded Starscream accusingly, his anger unforgiving. He did not wait for a reply. "The Autobots can easily spy on us while our satellite is off-line!" He was furious, as a large hand reached out to close around Starscream’s neck, threatening to crush him.</p><p>The Air Commander struggled against his grasp, but the Liege was too strong. “I was helping with the installation of the new satellite,” he defended, his voice a weak rasp. “I can’t do two things at once. How was I to know that you wanted me to–”</p><p>But the Liege was impatient. “No more excuses! If you fail me one more time, Starscream, I will see to it that you are smelted down to molten scrap, and then recast into new armour plating!” The Liege held a tight grip around his neck, slowly lifting him off his feet. Then, satisfied that he had made his point, he let go of the seeker suddenly and watched as he fell backwards. Starscream held his hand to his neck as his air intakes overworked to compensate for the sudden shock, then quickly backed away as the Liege stepped past him on his way out of the throne room.</p><p> </p><p>* * *</p><p> </p><p>Shrapnel and his two best friends, Kickback and Bombshell, had been assigned the task of recycling the Autobots' decommissioned war ships at the dock yards in Iacon. Shrapnel had had the honour of being designated the leader of the trio by his team mates; the three of them were known as the Insecti-trons, a sub-group of Destrons that had been created with some unique abilities in mind, including the ability to process organic materials into a source of refined fuel or other useful material.</p><p>The day was drawing to a close, and Kickback was getting agitated. “If we’re going to avoid the cell block, we’d better get these parts sorted,” he said.</p><p>Shrapnel looked over at his friend, as he tore out a still functioning control unit from a damaged war ship they had been working on. "Just a second, second," Shrapnel replied, repeating his last word. His unusual speech pattern was a result of his brief resistance against Autobot rule and the subsequent forced reprogramming he had endured as they attempted to curb his rebelliousness. The reprogramming appeared to have been successful – or so the Autobots believed. "There's still time, time."</p><p>Bombshell helped Shrapnel as they began to strip down the ship’s hull, panel by panel. “Why do we put up with them, Shrapnel?” he questioned suddenly. He was not a Transformer of many words, so when he spoke the others usually paid attention.</p><p>“Put up with whom? The Autobots, Autobots?” Shrapnel returned with his own question.</p><p>“Yes,” Bombshell replied. Kickback stopped what he was doing and listened quietly, as Shrapnel considered their situation.</p><p>“If we turn against them, they’ll pursue us wherever we go, go,” he finally answered. “We wouldn’t stand a chance, chance.”</p><p>“We could go to Kaon – I’ve heard there are Destrons there who don’t take orders from the Autobots. Who knows, they might allow us to join them?” Kickback offered, hoping that Shrapnel wouldn’t dismiss the idea so quickly.</p><p>“They’ve just replaced one master for another. True freedom’s something no Destron is ever likely to see,” their friend replied. “And besides, the risk would be much too great, great.” His voice had taken on a darker tone, but it also carried a sadness with it that he wasn’t able to hide. “Let’s just finish this job, and worry about our freedom some other time, time,” he told his companions.</p><p>“Whatever you say, Shrapnel,” Kickback said, trying to offer his support, but it did not help Shrapnel feel any better.</p><p> </p><p>* * *</p><p> </p><p>Starscream looked down from the uppermost point of the North Tower at the sprawling, half-ruined structures below that formed part of Kolkular fortress. From high up here, he would not be easily disturbed. The maltreatment that he so often suffered at the hands of the Liege reminded him once more of just how much he hated this place; how much he wished for nothing more than to leave and never return. But where would he and his team mates go? Kaon was the only place that guaranteed them safety from the Autobot guardians; since the mass rebellion and break away from their control, he and many Destrons like him were now considered fugitives.</p><p>The thought of surrendering and returning to the Autobots in the hopes that they might overlook his past contraventions was an option that was just as unappealing to him as staying in Kaon, if not more so,  and was certainly out of the question.</p><p>“Hey, Starscream,” a friendly voice said from behind him. It was one of his trine mates. “The Liege expects us to be at his announcement meeting.” Starscream gave no reply, so Thundercracker tried again. “Starscream?” The blue and grey seeker walked up to stand beside him, studying him intently, his arms crossed. “You don’t want to give him any more excuses to punish you.”</p><p>Thundercracker probably knew how his trine leader felt more than anyone. He had witnessed the Liege’s abuse of his friend countless times, but had always been powerless to help him. No one really knew why Maximus had it in for him, though he strongly suspected that it was because, of all the Destrons under his command, Starscream showed the greatest potential for successfully undermining his rule. Even though he had never deliberately gone against the Liege’s wishes, some part of him had always maintained a stubborn streak of independence, and this probably irritated Maximus more than he would ever care to reveal.</p><p>Finally, Starscream turned to face him. “If the Liege is successful in overtaking Iacon, what do you think will happen to us?” His question was an unlikely one, and had come from seemingly out of nowhere.</p><p>Thundercracker had never really considered such a scenario. He assumed that they would remain a part of the Liege’s forces when the war lord took control of Cybertron. Nevertheless, he knew his friend well enough to know that when he spoke like this, it usually involved an ulterior motive. “Starscream, if you’re thinking of doing anything stupid–”</p><p>“What if we were to disappear for a while? Head up north, to Tarn, where they won’t think to find us?” Starscream continued, ignoring the blue seeker’s comment.</p><p>“And then what? We’d need to find a reliable source of energy to survive. Even if we were to make it out of here in one piece, they’d eventually find us, sooner or later.” Thundercracker didn’t want to sound pessimistic, but he felt that he had to tell him the truth. This wasn’t the first time that the Air Commander had planned their escape from Kaon, but every time he did so he was never able to carry it through, for one reason or another.</p><p>“Perhaps… it would be better to die trying, than to continue to live in this miserable slag hole.” His voice was lowered, as though someone might overhear them talking.</p><p>"Come on, we'll be late for the announcement," Thundercracker reminded him. He didn't want to ignore his friend's sentiments, but at the same time he didn't want to encourage him towards taking any risks. Still, if Starscream really felt that strongly about leaving the Destron group, he would ultimately stand by his wing leader, regardless of the outcome.</p><p>Starscream reluctantly conceded, and they launched together into the air, transforming into their jet modes before making a sharp turn down towards the fortress below.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The Destrons under Liege Maximus’ command congregated in the Great Hall near the South Tower to hear his announcement.</p><p>“Destrons!” he began, raising his arm to quieten them down. “It is time to set our sights on something much bigger than Kaon, something much more satisfying.” The crowd quieted down to a whisper, their attention now fully focused upon him. “Next, we take Polyhex!” His voice reverberated throughout the hall, a deep, resounding boom that would have made any Transformer nervous. The crowd cheered, and he was pleased with the response. The two massive curled horns on his head seemed more prominent and more menacing than usual. “Once Polyhex is ours, we take Iacon, and then Cybertron shall be <em>mine</em>!”</p><p>Jhiaxus stood by his commander’s side as he observed the Destron army cheer in support for their Liege. He noticed the Air Commander entering the hall at the back of the crowd, accompanied by one of his trine mates, and he let out a low growl. He harboured a deep mistrust for Starscream that bordered on hate, and had long planned for his convenient demise; however, as long as they remained useful to the Liege, he would allow Starscream and his trine mates to exist.</p><p>The Liege was too absorbed in his own pursuit of conquest and glory to have noticed them, however, as he continued making his announcement. “Jhiaxus shall lead the attack on Darkmount from the ground, while our Aerial teams…” He paused, searching for the jet-formers amongst the crowd. When he had finally spotted them, he continued, “Shall attack from the air. And I will ensure that Lord Straxus answers only to me!” Darkmount was Lord Straxus’ seat of power in Polyhex, and the location of an ancient, fortified castle left over from the days when their creators still walked amongst them.</p><p>The crowd cheered again, voices rising and falling in verbal support. The Air Commander stood at the back of the crowd, observing the goings-on in dissatisfaction. If they attacked Darkmount, there would be heavy casualties for both sides. It wouldn’t be easy to penetrate the castle, and there was no guarantee that the Liege would be able to get to Straxus.</p><p>More importantly, however, he had Destron contacts in Polyhex who would be placed in harm’s way should the Liege and his army attack the city-state without warning.</p><p>Starscream kept his gaze fixed upon Liege Maximus and his second in charge, Jhiaxus, as they revelled in the triumphant praises of their followers, and in that moment, he made his decision – a decision that was to change not only his own life, but the lives of all those who depended on him, for ever.</p><p> </p><p>* * *</p><p> </p><p>Darkmount stood atop a small yet steep hill right in the heart of Polyhex. It was surrounded on all sides by massive stone walls, ancient relics that had been built from the planet’s natural rock. It was a gloomy and desolate fortress, much like the city of Kolkular, except that it was in a strategically superior location, and almost impervious to enemy attack.</p><p>It was for this reason that Lord Straxus had successfully maintained his rule over Polyhex for so long; no one had ever managed to come close enough to challenge him and his Destron army directly. So, when he received news of an impending attack from Kaon, Straxus was not too concerned.</p><p>He was stubborn and set in his ways, yet he maintained a powerful influence on those who served under him. His subordinates did not always agree with his methods or his ideas, but they obeyed his commands without protest, confident in the knowledge that he would continue to keep Polyhex safe from invasion against both the Autobot army and any rival Destron groups.</p><p>Laserbeak, having completed his mission, transformed into his cassette mode before returning to his guardian's chest compartment. Soundwave, the Destron communications expert and Straxus' advisor and informant, appeared to tolerate the head of state's ruthless and heavy-handed tactics with a cool aloofness. Lord Straxus was not aware, however, that Soundwave only showed him enough loyalty to remain within his ranks. In fact, Soundwave had a Destron contact within Kaon who revealed to him far more about Liege Maximus' plans than he ever cared to share with Straxus.</p><p>"The Liege does not know who he is dealing with!" the ruler proclaimed fervently, after information of the planned takeover had been relayed to him. "Soundwave! Take Astrotrain and Blitzwing on a little errand. Show Maximus that we mean him no harm… and destroy their new satellite."</p><p>“As you command,” Soundwave responded in his unusual monotonic voice, which was harmonized with a melodic undertone, and then left the control tower, leaving Straxus alone.</p><p> </p><p>* * *</p><p> </p><p>The planned attack on Darkmount had not been completely unexpected, though Starscream was thankful that he had been able to warn his contact in Polyhex. As things now stood, however, he was fast running out of time and had to move quickly.</p><p>As soon as the Liege’s announcement ended, he set out for Tarn, keeping closely within unmonitored air space so that he would not be detected by the Autobots, which meant that he had to take the longest route on his way north.</p><p>He knew that he was taking a very real risk venturing out alone this far, and it was for this reason that he had decided against letting his trine mates know. But he figured that he would be back in Kaon before anyone could realize he was missing.</p><p>As Tarn came into view beyond, he picked up speed. His sleek, tetra jet form effortlessly glided through the air as he approached his destination; the familiar, low-lying metallic formations sprawling across the landscape below. Tarn was a quiet, less populated region of Cybertron and, as such, posed no threat to the larger, Destron-controlled city-states.</p><p>Starscream decreased his speed and prepared to land, as he found the place he was after. It was one of the larger structures within Tarn's capital of Tetrix, and one of the largest research facilities on Cybertron, second only to Iacon's: the Tarn Institute of Science Research and Technology. As the Destron Air Commander walked through the front doors and then down along the many interconnecting platforms and walkways, memories of earlier days flooded his processor. He had been a student here, assigned by the Autobots to help expand their knowledge of the universe and contribute valuable information to further their cause. It was unusual for any Destron to be allowed the privilege of being a part of the research team, but his above-average intelligence and his skill as a scientist had granted him a position at the facility. He had gladly accepted, and for many years had devoted much time and effort to his research before the Destrons began to rebel. Eventually, he had been forced to abandon his post as an increasing number of Autobots regarded him with hate and mistrust due to his outspoken beliefs concerning the forced Autobot rule. After the Autobots eventually abandoned Tarn as war efforts intensified in the larger city-states, Starscream had never returned to the facility, until now.</p><p>The rooms and corridors looked just as he remembered them, and he wondered who he might find here now. He could recall the names and faces of his old colleagues and supervisors as if it were only yesterday. They had been mostly Autobots, though one other Destron had also been allowed a place at the facility. He had demonstrated a similar level of intelligence and skill as his own, and Starscream had connected with him instantly, realizing later that part of the reason had probably been due to the fact that they shared the same Destron origins amidst a growing group of mistrusting and conceited Autobots. They had spent many hours together discussing their research, as well as other subjects of interest which they both shared; it was a time that had impacted Starscream deeply, and for many years afterwards he could not erase the name from his memory: <em>Megatron</em>.</p><p>After his departure from Tarn, he had been eager to find his colleague again, but his long stay in Kaon after having been accepted into the Liege’s ranks had preoccupied his thoughts over all other matters, and so the name of the Transformer who had been so much a part of his life had eventually been forgotten.</p><p>Starscream noted that there appeared to be no one within the facility. He stopped outside of the Destron’s former quarters, and hoped that he would still find him here, but then realized just how silly this whole idea was; the chances of finding his former colleague from long ago in the very place that he’d last seen him, as if he had never left, were probably a million to one. Megatron would have moved on, just as he had done, in order to avoid the worst of the conflicts. He sighed, unsure of whether he should continue his search for the Transformer or head back to Kaon before he was discovered by Jhiaxus and his henchmechs.</p><p>The doors to the quarters in front of him appeared to be unlocked and he hesitated, his hand hovering over the control panel, but just as he was about to hit the button a voice called out from behind him, and he instinctively jerked his hand back, startled.</p><p>“Starscream? Starscream, is that you?”</p><p>The inquiring voice belonged to a large, white jet, almost twice as large as he was, and Starscream instantly recognized it even before he turned around to face the Autobot. “Skyfire. After all this time,” the Destron Air Commander greeted him.</p><p>Skyfire stepped towards him, shaking his head and smiling. "The most infamous Destron scientist, and the Autobots' biggest headache, walking these halls again?" the Autobot said light-heartedly, teasing his ex-colleague. "So, what brings you here?"</p><p>“Ah, I was searching for someone, funny you should ask,” Starscream replied. “Perhaps you can help me?”</p><p>“Well, I can certainly try,” the large jet-former replied. “Who are you after? Oh, wait, let me guess. Megatron?”</p><p>Starscream nodded. “Yes. Do you know where I might find him?”</p><p>“Hm, let me think. He stayed on for a short while, after you’d left.” Skyfire replied, recalling the events of the past. He shook his head. “I’m not sure where he actually ended up after that, though – oh, but I do have something for you that might help.” He looked back at the seeker, his lofty frame towering above the Destron's. “Follow me,” he said, extending out a hand in the direction further down the hall.</p><p>As they walked together in silence, Starscream recalled the familiar laboratories and work shops where he had worked together with Skyfire. “What about you? Did you remain in Tarn?” he asked the Autobot.</p><p>“Oh, no; I was called to help out in the conflicts,” he replied. Skyfire felt uneasy as he brought up the topic of the Autobot-Destron conflict – he had been opposed to it from the beginning, but he thought that Starscream deserved to know. “I’m only here to transfer the old records stored here.”</p><p>“To Iacon?” the seeker asked, as they both stepped onto a large platform that would take them up to the top levels.</p><p>“Yeah.” After further silence, Skyfire continued with the previous topic of conversation. “Starscream… when you left, the other Autobots… well, they saw it as a sign of rebellion, obviously, especially after they’d allowed you a place here.” He stepped off the platform as it slowed to a stop at the third level. “I want you to know, I never believed what they said about you.”</p><p>Starscream followed him. “What did they say about me?” he inquired, and Skyfire hesitated. “Tell me,” he prompted.</p><p>“They said that you had only agreed to accept a place here just so you could take all our research back to the Destrons… then turn against us,” Skyfire answered, his words sounding insecure.</p><p>“Well, I can see why they might have thought such a thing, I suppose,” the Destron jet responded, surprising the Autobot with his honest appraisal. “Still, it doesn’t make it true, does it?”</p><p>Skyfire, relieved that his ex-colleague had taken that information as well as he had, motioned for them to head down the hall. “Come on, it’s just through here,” he said.</p><p>They approached a set of doors, and Skyfire accessed a control panel beside them. The doors slid open, revealing a large room filled with long shelves of data modules stacked neatly in rows. “I think he left you a message, in the event that you might return one day,” Skyfire assured him, and led the way through the records room. He began searching through a set of data modules, the tall shelves almost as high as he was.</p><p>Yes, of course; Megatron always did think a few steps ahead, and it made perfect sense to Starscream that he would have pre-empted his search for him.</p><p>After a few minutes of flicking through several collections of modules, Skyfire stopped and pulled one off the shelf. “Here we are,” Skyfire said, and handed the object to the seeker. “He wouldn’t have left without some way for you to be able to find him.”</p><p>Starscream looked at the data module, and scanned its title. It had been addressed, ‘<em>To the Destron most likely to take down an entire empire single-handedly – or help build one</em>’. Starscream was reminded of the days when the two of them had often engaged in lively banter, philosophizing on a range of diverse topics, and everything in between – from the mechanics of hyper-space drives, to the rise and fall of alien empires. That he would describe the seeker in such a way was typical of his old friend and mentor. “Thank you,” Starscream replied.</p><p>“He asked me to give it to you, should you ever come looking. I just hope it’s helpful,” Skyfire said, and then led the way out of the records room, closing the doors behind them.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>Starscream,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>If you are reading this, then one of two things has transpired; either you have achieved all your ambitions and are now enjoying life to your spark's content and wish to share the good news with me, or you have not yet achieved your dreams, and have come seeking answers. I, for one, welcome you all the same. It is not the end goal itself that will be your greatest teacher, but the journey you will take to get there.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>You are probably wondering where I might be found. I considered staying on at the research facility after you'd left, but then I realized that was no longer a workable option; the growing anti-Destron sentiments had become much too overbearing, to the point that it had begun to interfere with my research, so I was forced to relocate. If all goes well, then you should still be able to find me here:</em>
</p><p>A short description of the co-ordinates followed, and Starscream put down the data module, resting it gently upon the ground. After leaving the research facility, he had headed out towards a rocky outcrop beside a hilltop, where he was certain he would not be followed.</p><p>If the co-ordinates were still valid, Megatron would not be too far from here, and he felt trepidation at the thought of seeing him again. He imagined a bitter-sweet reunion, his mentor offering him some pertinent, unreserved advice for his highest good. Given the challenges that he and his fellow Destrons now faced, he wasn't sure what kind of help, if any, he might receive from his former mentor; nevertheless, he could always rely on Megatron to tell him what he needed to hear, even if it wasn't to his liking. He appreciated his blunt honesty, even if it didn't appear that way to anybody else.</p><p>Starscream picked up the data module, and read the remainder of the message.</p><p>
  <em>I expect that, when next we meet, the state of affairs between the Autobots and Destrons will have worsened to such an extent that it will no longer be possible for us to continue in our existence and allow things to remain the way they are.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Above all else, do not feel indebted to those ideals that no longer serve you; in fact, it is of paramount importance that you discard them, if you are to succeed in whatever it is that you have set out to accomplish.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Megatron</em>
</p><p>Starscream read the last part again, and wondered what he had meant by those words. The message resonated with him in a way that he had yet to fully comprehend. That had always been Megatron's way; he possessed an uncanny ability to know him better than he knew himself, and this had been another reason why they had formed such a close connection from the beginning.</p><p>He remained on the hillside for quite some time in silence, reflecting on the message, until finally he headed out to the location determined by the co-ordinates he had been given.</p><p> </p><p>* * *</p><p> </p><p>The Destron Air Commander was greeted by a rather nondescript, yet large building that formed part of a small village in a north-east region of Tarn. The place seemed peaceful enough, quiet – he did not see many Transformers around, and those he did see appeared to be unaligned to any group or faction – though it did feel a little desolate. Perhaps that was the very reason his mentor had chosen this place.</p><p>He cautiously walked up to the building's entrance, and scanned the door panel. It appeared to be locked. He stood there a moment looking up at the building; he could see that it was comprised of at least two above-ground levels, maybe more below ground. He turned and began to walk around the structure, looking for a side entrance, and was approached by a small blue Transformer, who seemed to deliberately ignore the Destron symbols that were prominently displayed on his wing tips.</p><p>"Hello. Can I help you?" he asked simply.</p><p>Starscream pointed to the building in front of them. "I'm here to see Megatron," he replied.</p><p>The robot nodded in recognition at the mention of the name. He looked up at the seeker suspiciously, hesitating. "He doesn't like to see anyone… he's busy."</p><p>"Just tell me where I can find him," Starscream replied obstinately.</p><p>The robot continued to look at him uncertainly. He realized that the Destron would probably not take no for an answer, and he didn't think it would be a very good idea to turn him away, especially since he appeared to be a very powerful Destron, and one who could easily get his way. "Alright," the robot finally conceded. "Wait here," he added, and then disappeared down a small side alley.</p><p>Several minutes passed by in silence, and Starscream began to wonder whether that blue robot had tried to deceive him. Growing ever more impatient, he finally turned around with the intention of heading back towards the main doors of the building, and was stopped in his tracks by a figure standing before him, arms crossed.</p><p>He looked just as he remembered him, only he seemed greater, more powerful, somehow. But perhaps that was just his perception; Megatron was a much taller Transformer than any of the others he had seen around these parts, and larger.</p><p>"I assume you received the message I left for you," he said, his silver and black frame gleaming in the Cybertronian daylight, his voice resonating with a confidence and authority that was all too familiar.</p><p>"Yes, I…" Starscream started, and then trailed off, still surprised to see Megatron standing before him, after all this time.</p><p>"It's been too long, Starscream," the larger Destron said, giving him a satisfied smile, before the seeker had a chance to say anything further. Then he indicated towards the open door. "Come, we have much to discuss. There's something I want to show you."</p><p>Starscream followed him inside the building, and looked around with interest. He was in some sort of work shop, a construction laboratory containing what appeared to be innovative, experimental technology. Various monitors and data pads displayed theoretical concepts that he'd never seen before. He stepped over to a holographic model of an artificial multi-dimensional portal, his optics wide with amazement as he examined the research notes and mathematical computations that accompanied it. "You came up with all this yourself?" he asked, finally, turning towards his former mentor.</p><p>The silver and black Transformer looked over at the prototype model. "Not entirely. I've had some help." He watched the seeker intently. "I thought you might appreciate it. It's far from complete; it's still only in the theoretical stages. I've taken it as far as I can here." He didn't wait for Starscream's reply, but moved on to a different subject. "But, all that can wait until later. Tell me, what has brought you all the way out here?"</p><p>The seeker contemplated his reply. He had taken a huge risk coming here, of that he was sure, and without even knowing what he might find. He realized that he had needed help, with the situation back in Kaon becoming increasingly complex and ever more desperate for him and his team mates. "I'm not even sure where to begin," he admitted, finally. "Perhaps it was wrong of me to come here."</p><p>Megatron offered him a seat. "Nonsense. Now, start at the beginning," he said matter-of-factly, his air of self-assuredness unmistakable.</p><p>The Air Commander slowly sat down. "It's the Liege. He's about to take Polyhex, and expects me to lead the aerial assault," he began, a little too quickly, and then stopped. He hadn't even considered the possibility that Megatron may not be aware of his current affiliations with the Destron group, or of all that had happened concerning the major city-states since he had left Tarn. For all he knew, the Destron may have completely turned away from any interactions with the outside world in order to focus solely on his work.</p><p>But the larger Transformer showed no indication of any lack of knowledge in current planetary affairs. Instead, he took a seat opposite the seeker, and leaned back in his chair. "And you intend to disobey him?" he asked simply.</p><p>"Well, I only want to do what is best for the other seekers, but I fear that, if he is successful in his drive for planet-wide domination, I'll be the first one he'll…" Starscream tried to find the best words to describe his concern.</p><p>"You'll be his first casualty," Megatron finished for him, and the seeker nodded. He paused in thought, before asking him another question. "This is the Liege Maximus that we are speaking of, yes?"</p><p>"Yes."</p><p>Megatron nodded in understanding. "From what I know of the situation in Kaon, your immediate concern should be his second in charge," he stated.</p><p>"Jhiaxus? But, he's a spineless jerk. He does everything Maximus tells him to do, even if it means backstabbing his own loyal followers," Starscream explained in disbelief.</p><p>"Hm," his mentor acknowledged. "That is exactly the reason why he is all the more dangerous." When the seeker did not respond straight away, he continued. "Starscream, you must ask yourself, why do you serve him at all? What is it that you truly want?"</p><p>"What I want is irrelevant," he answered, though he sounded doubtful.</p><p>"Is it?" When the seeker had no answer for him, Megatron continued. "You came here seeking my help, did you not? Well, let me tell you what I know." The jet-former held his gaze, as he waited to hear what his mentor had to say. "I see a very capable, highly ambitious Destron, highly intelligent. But – and do correct me if I am mistaken – you often feel as though you must always accomplish things on your own – not because you don't know how to accept help, but because you find it difficult to trust. As a result, you have placed a heavy burden upon yourself. You feel responsible for those who look up to you, and are terrified of failing them. This is why you have not been able to break away from the Liege thus far, and why you have remained under his control for so long."</p><p>The room was quiet, as Megatron's advice to the seeker hit home. He couldn't believe how well he had been able to size him up, even after all this time, but it came as no surprise. His emotions were beginning to surface, and he found it difficult to speak. "I should never have left Tarn," he said, finally.</p><p>Megatron shook his head. "Your team mates needed their leader. Had you stayed, they would have surely suffered, and you… would have found yourself in no better a situation." He was patient, allowing the seeker to take all the time he needed to gather his thoughts.</p><p>"You could come with me to Kaon. Together, we could defeat him–" Starscream said suddenly, a look of renewed hope on his face.</p><p>Megatron stopped him before he could complete his sentence. "No."</p><p>"But… why not? You always used to talk about how a united front could defeat any enemy, no matter how big or powerful," Starscream reminded him.</p><p>"That is true. But how do you expect to form a united front, with only the two of us against an entire army? Besides, I still have my work to finish."</p><p>Starscream stood up, walked over to the model. He turned towards Megatron, who was watching him intently. "You can't do any more with this here; you said so yourself! What have you got to lose?"</p><p>This much was true; the silver and black Destron could not argue that point. And it did present him with an intriguing opportunity. With help, if he were able to build a working prototype of the space portal, defeating Liege Maximus and his followers would become almost too easy.</p><p>Still, Megatron remained uncertain. "We're going to need more than just you and me – <em>if</em> I’m going to even consider this," he said, finally.</p><p>Starscream's expression changed to one of subdued excitement, and he couldn't help but smile at the prospect. "I can speak for the other seekers in Kaon; they wouldn't hesitate, given the chance… and, there are Destrons in Polyhex who I know have been holding out for just such an opportunity."</p><p>Megatron stood up and walked over to the seeker. He looked about his work space, contemplating what needed to be done. "Very well. There are some in Iacon I might be able to persuade." He paused in thought. "Are you sure this is what you want, Starscream?" he asked.</p><p>"I've never been more certain about anything in my entire life," the Air Commander replied, filled with more resolve and determination than he'd ever felt before.</p><p>His mentor looked at him, and understood his sincerity. "Good. Then, we leave first thing tomorrow."</p><p> </p><p>* * *</p><p> </p><p>Soundwave and Blitzwing sat inside Astrotrain as he transported them all high above Kaon in his space shuttle mode. Once the small team had arrived within the satellite's sensor range, the communications expert gave Astrotrain the order to hold his position. Blitzwing started heading towards the shuttle's exit, his gyro-blaster in hand ready to let loose on the satellite, but Soundwave stopped him.</p><p>"Refrain from taking action, Blitzwing. There's been a change of plans," Soundwave informed him.</p><p>The purple triple changer turned to face him. "Change of plans? I was never told about any change of plans."</p><p>"I am telling you now," Soundwave answered, and then opened up his chest compartment to deploy two of his mini-cassettes. "Rumble; Frenzy: operation satellite hijack."</p><p>The two Destron saboteurs transformed into their robot modes and landed with their feet on the floor of the shuttle. They looked almost identical, save for variations in their exterior markings, and their differing color schemes; Rumble was purple and blue, while Frenzy was red and black.</p><p>Rumble stepped past Blitzwing towards the exit. "Come on, let us out, Astrotrain," he said.</p><p>Astrotrain hesitated. "Soundwave, are you sure about this?"</p><p>"Don't let 'em out until he tells us what's going on," Blitzwing said, interjecting.</p><p>The communications expert hesitated. "Very well," he said. "Straxus has been deceiving you. Once he's defeated Liege Maximus, he plans to destroy both Autobots… and Destrons, and rebuild his army so that he can take command of Cybertron."</p><p>Blitzwing looked at him in shock. "Rebuild his army? How does he plan to do that?"</p><p>Frenzy replied, speaking for Soundwave. "Here's a hint: Autobots, Destrons… smelting pools… mad scientist Deluge… you do the math."</p><p>The Destron triple changer recoiled. "That's disgusting," he said, grimacing. He paused in thought before asking, "How do you know all this?"</p><p>This time Rumble gave him the answer. "No one gets anything past Soundwave."</p><p>"No, I guess not." Blitzwing shook his head in disbelief, and then looked towards the blue guardian. "So, what's the plan?"</p><p>Frenzy spoke again. "Simple. We reroute the satellite so that it works for us. Then, when the time's right, we can use it to help stop Straxus from gaining the upper hand over Liege Maximus, or vice versa."</p><p>"Making it more difficult for either of them to gain any real advantage," Rumble finished for his twin. "Stalemate."</p><p>"Well, it sounds good in theory, I guess. But how do you know when the time's right?" Blitzwing asked.</p><p>"We don't," the mini-cassette continued. "But it's always better to be prepared."</p><p>Astrotrain conceded, and opened his exit hatch. The two saboteurs launched into the atmosphere, and landed on the satellite's dish. They set to work, reprogramming its communications port and overriding Kaon's access codes, replacing them with their own encrypted commands. As far as the Liege would be able to tell, the satellite no longer existed.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Starscream and his new companion set out towards Iacon’s border, taking to the air in robot mode and keeping away from the main cities as much as possible. Upon their arrival some time later, the silver and black Destron would go no further. "It is better that I enter Iacon alone. Your unpopularity with the Autobots is well known, Starscream – you might raise too many suspicions. Wait here until I return." Starscream reluctantly agreed. He knew that Megatron was right; there was no guarantee that the Autobots, upon seeing him again, would allow him to leave Iacon.</p><p>As his mentor took to the air once again, heading towards the city center, Starscream surveyed his surroundings. Iacon was much newer than Cybertron's other city-states; as the Autobots' home base, they had input a considerable amount of time and resources into upgrading its roads and structures.</p><p>Taking cover from any prying optics underneath a nearby overhang, he activated his encrypted communications channel. It wasn't long before he established contact with his Destron ally in Polyhex. "Soundwave, there's been a change of circumstances that I think you will find very much to your liking. How soon are you able to gather the other Destrons and bring them to my location?" There was a pause, as his informant relayed his response. "That would be most suitable. Oh, and Soundwave?" Another pause. "Don't expect to return to Polyhex any time soon."</p><p>As the link disconnected, Starscream smiled in satisfaction, but then froze as he heard a sound nearby.</p><p>"Hello, Starscream," someone greeted him, a familiar voice that was devoid of any warmth. Starscream stepped out of the shelter and spun around, his arm weapon pointing defensively in front of him. "Have we been out on a little errand?"</p><p>It was Jhiaxus; he must have been following him. The war lord's second in command seemed only too pleased to discover the Air Commander's treachery, collaborating with one of the Liege's most despised Destrons – Megatron; Jhiaxus saw this as the perfect opportunity to teach him a lesson.</p><p>"What do you want?" the seeker replied, taking a few steps back as the white and yellow Destron jet moved closer towards him.</p><p>Jhiaxus' energy-blast missile launcher was aimed directly at his chest. He let out a cruel, menacing growl. "I want <em>you</em>, Starscream. I do believe it's about time you received your just reward for your faithful service to the Liege, wouldn't you agree?" he threatened sardonically.</p><p>"If you think I'm going anywhere with you, then think again," Starscream replied, but he was too late as Jhiaxus launched a missile towards him. The blast impacted Starscream's torso, and he was instantly deactivated from the energy overload.</p><p>"Whatever you say, Starscream," Jhiaxus replied, his face contorting into an evil grin. Then, he lifted the unconscious seeker and, transforming into his jet mode, carried him back to Kolkular.</p><p> </p><p>* * *</p><p> </p><p>During the Destrons' mass uprising, when Megatron was still a member of Tarn's research facility, he had devised a theoretical model for a very powerful portal, which existed in subordinate space. If he was correct, it could be used to not only guarantee Cybertron's protection, but to also establish the planet's dominance throughout the galaxy. Shockwave had shown great interest in his research, and had agreed to help him develop the experimental technology.</p><p>Although Shockwave was a first generation Transformer, he remained one of the few of his peers to refuse the Autobot distinction, preferring instead to remain unaffiliated. His primary function, and the original purpose for his creation, was as Cybertron's guardian; he was responsible for protecting his home planet against hostile alien races and, to a large extent, had already helped prevent many potentially devastating invasions in the past. He generally showed no interest in the ongoing struggles between the Autobots and the various Destron groups; he believed that all Cybertronians should lay aside their petty quarrels and instead focus upon strengthening Cybertron's inter-galactic position, mainly by improving its energy efficiency and upgrading its defences. He was an extremely powerful Transformer, built for conquest, with a superior intelligence to match; however, he preferred to spend most of his time alone, and rarely engaged in casual conversation with the other Autobots at Iacon's Technological Science and Research Station, where he could be found.</p><p>One of the few Transformers who shared common interests with him was Megatron. Not only did they both show little regard for the existing factions, they also agreed that protecting Cybertron from all harm, and ensuring that another energy shortage did not occur again, should be the most important considerations.</p><p>After a number of simulated trial runs, the portal design seemed to show some potential; however, it had proved overly sensitive to the massive vortexes created as a result of connecting with the subordinate space layer, resulting in an overload of its circuitry before a portal could be successfully established. These initial failures did not deter Megatron, and he had returned his focus to its theoretical aspects in an attempt to solve the problem. It was only recently that he had been able to come up with a possible solution, with Shockwave's continued input.</p><p>He stepped through the front doors of Iacon's expansive Research Station, and began to make his way to one of the top floors, where the powerful space observatory, and Shockwave's laboratory, were both situated. The Autobot scientists who occupied the facility walked past him without a second glance, barely noticing the Destron insignia visible on his chest.</p><p>The large, imposing guardian robot had been expecting the Destron. He had made preparations beforehand, and had set up a testing platform in anticipation of the completed prototype. Megatron allowed him to look over his last-minute adjustments to the design, waiting expectantly for the Cybertronian's feedback. It was positive.</p><p>"The enhancements you've made to the power containment cells are exceptional." Shockwave walked over to the main terminal and input a series of calculations into his simulator. They both watched the results as the simulated portal was established, and remained stable for a few seconds before the safety overload shut down the device. "With a few more modifications, this should be successful," he said.</p><p>Megatron was pleased with the feedback. The simulator had never achieved such a result; up until this point, they had not been able to get it to establish a stable portal. Even Shockwave, who was rarely impressed by anything, stepped back in reserved astonishment and purposeful contemplation.</p><p>The silver and black Destron broke the silence. "There's something else." Shockwave remained where he was, unmoving; his single optic was his only discernible facial feature, which made it almost impossible for anyone to read his emotions. The tone of his voice and his mannerisms were usually the only indications. "It appears that Liege Maximus is about to engage in war in an effort to establish singular dominance over the other Destron groups… and, then, over the Autobots as well."</p><p>The large purple Cybertronian pulled his attention away from the simulated portal on his display. His head was tilted down towards the floor, as if in contemplation. "That would be unacceptable."</p><p>"There are other Destrons who share similar sentiments, who do not wish to see Cybertron torn apart by their wars. If you would be willing, together we could prevent any such devastation." Megatron was persuasive when he wanted to be, and he knew the guardian well enough to know how to influence him; they did share similar view points on the guardianship of their home planet, after all.</p><p>Finally, Shockwave nodded. "I will help you." Then, he looked up at the other Transformer. "Have you spoken to the Prime?" he asked. Sentinel Prime had a substantial influence over Autobot affairs, and was the one to approach regarding any military matters.</p><p>Megatron shook his head. "No."</p><p>"If the Autobots can be persuaded to take the offensive, they may be able to stop the rebel groups before any serious harm is done."</p><p>"Agreed." Satisfied with their exchange, the Destron turned towards the laboratory's exit. "I will speak to Prime, and let you know of the outcome," he added, before leaving.</p><p> </p><p>* * *</p><p> </p><p>Megatron had known Sentinel Prime since the day of his own creation, and each time they had conversed, their discussion had always ended the same way; in disagreement. He had functioned originally as Sentinel's military advisor shortly after he'd been created, having demonstrated a remarkable ability to assess an enemy's weaknesses and determine the most likely outcome of any planned strategy, or of a particular course of action. To Sentinel, Megatron had been the most valuable amongst the Destrons, though that did not stop the Prime from harbouring anti-Destron sentiments, and Megatron was no exception.</p><p>When Sentinel was informed by Prowl, his advisor, that he was here to see him, the leader of the Autobots was reluctant to allow the Destron anywhere near the Command Center. "What does he want?" he asked with irritation, seated in his chair inside the control room.</p><p>"All he said was that it is a matter of urgency," Prowl relayed with his usual quiet confidence.</p><p>Sentinel frowned in annoyance. He was a powerful, imposing Autobot in his own right, eager for battle and impressively armed. He led the Autobot military with pride, and never compromised his position or ideals for anyone. "Very well; I'll speak with him," he said finally, more to humour the Destron than to actually take anything he said purposefully.</p><p>A few minutes later, Prowl reappeared with Megatron, and Sentinel nodded, indicating for his advisor to leave them alone. "You ought to be grateful I've even agreed to speak with you, Megatron. What do you want?"</p><p>Megatron tried to ignore Sentinel's unwelcoming attitude towards him, but he had expected such a reception from the Autobot Prime. "You should know that Liege Maximus is about to make his move," he said.</p><p>Sentinel studied him intently, sizing him up. Megatron would make a formidable enemy against any opponent; indeed, Sentinel was one of the few to have witnessed his capabilities first-hand, though he doubted that the Destron's drive and determination could surpass his own and decided that he would easily be able to defeat him in one-to-one combat. However, his theory had never been put to the test. "And why should that concern me?" he replied, keeping his gaze steady.</p><p>"It may not be of any concern to you now, but if he is successful in overtaking Polyhex, you and the Autobots will be his next target," Megatron informed him.</p><p>Sentinel laughed quietly, yet he was filled with derision. "And you think the Autobots are not prepared for such an outcome?"</p><p>"It always pays to be better prepared," his former military advisor told him plainly.</p><p>"I have everything under control, and I <em>certainly</em> don't need advice from a Destron – particularly one who doesn't know how to keep quiet." Sentinel was referring to a time when Megatron had spoken his mind to the Autobots' governing body against the Prime, when the latter had planned to send an army of Destrons to fight a losing battle on one of Cybertron's moons.</p><p>"This isn't about your petty need for retribution–" Megatron started, growing restless with the Prime's arrogance.</p><p>Sentinel stood up in anger and strode towards the Destron, but he did not get any reaction from him. "And why should I listen to anything you have to say?" he said, raising his voice in anger.</p><p>"If you won't listen to me, then perhaps you will listen to Shockwave," Megatron replied, unperturbed. "Or, have you made it a habit to stop taking advice from those who might know better than you?"</p><p>Sentinel's optics widened in surprise, and he scowled. "How dare you?" he said in a venomous tone. "Get out of my sight, before I have you thrown out!"</p><p>Megatron did not bother giving him a reply, but strode out of the Command Center without looking back.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Starscream awoke to find himself in a darkened chamber. He felt weak, as if someone had drained the very energy out of him and he was barely hanging on to life by a thread. He tried to move, but realized that he had been secured to a raised platform, restraints holding him down. As he regained his visual function, he noticed that the chamber looked like a laboratory. He tried to think of where he might be, and then the memory of Jhiaxus suddenly returned to him. If the Liege's second in command had brought him back to Kolkular, he was in dire trouble, and he had to find a way to escape and return to Iacon before he was deactivated, or worse. But he couldn't see any way out of his current predicament.</p><p>He noticed movement to his right, and realized with dread that he was inside the Doctor's laboratory, deep underground within Kolkular. The Doctor practically lived down here; he was a Destron who had sworn loyalty to the Liege long ago, and who revelled in all sorts of cruel and callous experiments upon other Transformers – experiments that were too horrific to even bring to mind.</p><p>"Ah, Starscream. I'm glad to see that you are awake," the Doctor suddenly said. He was quietly spoken, yet his tone was filled with all manner of sinister intentions.</p><p>The seeker was too weak to respond, yet that did not stop him from trying. "What… have you done?"</p><p>The evil scientist moved closer until his face appeared before the Air Commander, the details of his features obscured by the semi-darkness. Only his red optics could be seen clearly. "That's not the question you should be asking. Rather, what I am about to do should be of far more concern to you."</p><p>It took Starscream every last ounce of strength not to call out for help, or beg the scientist to spare him, but he knew that none of that would help and, if he started to head down that path and give in to his panic, he would surely be done for.</p><p>"Let me speak to the Liege… please…" Starscream pleaded. It was his only hope; given no other options, he would much rather have the slag beaten out of him by the war lord, than to be forced to undergo one of the Doctor's experiments.</p><p>"It's too late for that now. It appears that you have crossed him one too many times. The Liege has graciously bestowed upon me the privilege of carrying out your punishment." The scientist spoke slowly, deliberately, enjoying every moment of his work.</p><p>As the Doctor began to prepare various tools and equipment, Starscream slowly began to resign to the fact that if he did not find a way out of here within the next five minutes, he might never again be able to experience freedom, or help Megatron and the other Destrons survive through the upcoming conflicts. He had truly failed them, and it felt like he was in hell; a fate much worse than death could ever offer him. "Deactivate me… please," he begged, his options fast running out.</p><p>"Oh, no, no, no… that's simply out of the question," the Doctor answered him. "I need you awake, or it might not work." Finally, the scientist completed his preparations; everything had been set up just the way he wanted. "Are we ready to begin?" he said, and reached across to an access port underneath Starscream's helm.</p><p>"What… are you doing… stop…" Starscream protested, but his desperate pleas went unnoticed. He could sense the scientist making a connection with his neural circuitry.</p><p>"Try to remain quiet. This isn't a particularly painful procedure, necessarily," the Doctor said, as he proceeded to upload a new instruction set into the seeker's main control module. "If anything, you should be grateful."</p><p>Starscream struggled against his restraints, but his weakness was making it too difficult to even think. His frame was trembling involuntarily, and he wasn't sure whether it was due to his fear, or to his low energy levels. "What… are you… doing?" he managed to ask. He did not want to hear the answer, but part of him needed to know what was happening.</p><p>The Doctor enjoyed talking to his victims; the more frightened or in pain they were, the better. He had no qualms about explaining his procedures in detail, to whoever would care to listen. In fact, he gained quite a bit of pleasure from it. "I'm sabotaging your autonomous responses in connection with some of your most significant memories," he explained delightedly. "I've not yet had the opportunity to test my program on a live subject before; you'll be the first, but I'm sure it will work. It's not a very complicated procedure. It just requires some fine adjustment to your control circuitry…" He trailed off, focusing intently on his work. "A most fitting punishment for a very treacherous Air Commander, wouldn't you agree?"</p><p>Starscream ignored his last comment, and tried to resist the core programming that was being forced into his neural center. Suddenly, his memories were activated, and a barrage of super enhanced images and sounds threatened to overload his processor. He could see himself in Tarn, alongside his fellow researchers, working with Skyfire on an interstellar database; his first encounter with Megatron, and how they had engaged in a lively debate until his mentor had finally proven him wrong. Then the rising conflicts with the Autobots, and how his Destron origins had interfered with his partnerships at the research facility. He saw himself leaving Tarn behind and joining the growing legion under Liege Maximus' command. The first time he had suffered the Liege's wrath, and then the countless number of times that he had endured his abuse afterwards.</p><p>But the most prevalent, and his most important, memory – the one that repeated itself over and over in his mind as the Doctor quietly carried out his task – was of his recent reunion with Megatron, and the hopes and aspirations that they had recently shared; his willingness and determination to work with his mentor once again, along with his unspoken need to prove his worth.</p><p>Starscream was so absorbed in his memories and in such a weakened state, that he was not aware he had fallen into unconsciousness.</p><p> </p><p>* * *</p><p> </p><p>When Megatron returned to the agreed meeting place at Iacon's border, he discovered that the Destron jet was nowhere to be seen. He was about to head towards Kaon in search of him, when he saw a space shuttle approaching in the distance. It landed close by, and two Destrons disembarked before the shuttle transformed into its robot mode.</p><p>The three Destrons looked about, as if searching for something. Then, having spotted Megatron, they approached him. One of them, a blue Destron, took a moment to scan the area, and then focused his sensor beam on the silver and black Destron, who did not try to stop him.</p><p>When Soundwave had completed his scan, Megatron addressed him. "Did Starscream send you?"</p><p>The Destron seemed to hesitate, but then replied simply, "Yes."</p><p>Megatron nodded. "He should have returned by now."</p><p>Soundwave attempted to establish his usual communications channel with the seeker, but when he was unable to do so, he informed the others. "The situation is unsatisfactory. There is a high probability that Starscream is in peril."</p><p>Megatron looked around them. The day had transitioned into night, and the outskirts of Iacon seemed deserted. If Starscream had left of his own free will, he would have done so for a very good reason, yet he would also have exercised precaution and informed them about his intentions. However, if he was in danger, he had to consider the very real possibility that they may already be too late to help him. He looked back at the three of them, not allowing himself to entertain the latter thought. "He was probably followed. If he's been captured, he'll most likely be in Kaon."</p><p>Soundwave nodded, and Astrotrain transformed again into his shuttle mode. Then, once the three Destrons were inside, he took off into the air once more, the late evening shrouding them in darkness.</p><p> </p><p>* * *</p><p> </p><p>Thundercracker and his team mate, Skywarp, had just returned from the North Tower in search of their trine leader; he had seemingly disappeared, and was nowhere to be found.</p><p>As they entered one of Kolkular's many enclosed courtyards, Jhiaxus awaited them; he stood with arms crossed, and a self satisfied smirk was upon his face. Beside him, two of his personal guards supported Starscream between them, holding him upright; the seeker appeared to be off-line.</p><p>"Ah, just the imbeciles I wanted to see. I do believe this piece of slag belongs to you?" he said, leering at them as he gestured casually towards Starscream.</p><p>Thundercracker feared the worst, as he glanced nervously towards the Air Commander. He sensed that something had gone seriously wrong, and that whatever misfortune had befallen his comrade, the Liege's second in command was largely responsible.</p><p>Skywarp, a black and purple jet-former, asked the difficult question, his voice wavering with uncertainty. "What's happened to him?"</p><p>Jhiaxus looked over at his guards and gave a nod of his head, indicating for them to release the unconscious seeker. They immediately complied with the unspoken command, and roughly pushed Starscream into the direction of his trine mates, who managed to catch him between them, preventing him from falling forwards into the wall behind them. "He's undergone a minor… corrective procedure, nothing to worry about," Jhiaxus informed them in a mocking tone. "He'll still be able to function, I'm sure."</p><p>Thundercracker examined their leader, prodding him gently to see if he was responsive, but Starscream gave no indication that he would regain consciousness. His red optics showed very little life in them. "What kind of corrective procedure?" the blue jet asked with growing concern. "What have you done to him?"</p><p>Jhiaxus laughed, his contempt obvious. "Just let it be a warning to the both of you, or to any other Destron who dares even think he can betray the Liege," Jhiaxus replied, before turning away and exiting the courtyard, his guards following behind.</p><p>The two jet-formers looked at one another in an unspoken exchange, each imagining the worst for their off-lined comrade.</p><p>"We need to find him help," Thundercracker said finally, in a low voice.</p><p>Skywarp shook his head. "We won't find any here," he replied, then added with hesitation, "His only chance is in Iacon."</p><p>"He won't be too happy about that," his team mate replied. Taking Starscream to Iacon posed a risk, not just to their trine leader, but to their own safety as well. Still, the seriousness of his condition demanded immediate expert attention, or they might end up losing him.</p><p>"Well, he doesn't have much of a say right now, does he? Come on, let's get him out of here," Skywarp finally decided, and the two jets took off into the air, taking Starscream with them.</p><p> </p><p>* * *</p><p> </p><p>As the Destron space shuttle approached the Kolkular fortress, Soundwave suddenly spoke up. "Three Destron signatures have been detected."</p><p>Blitzwing, who had been seated on the floor of the shuttle, got up, suddenly alert. He walked over to Astrotrain's short-range sensor display, and watched as the image of three seekers moved across the screen, heading towards Iacon. Megatron, watching the same display, turned to the Destron triple changer. "Can you intercept them?"</p><p>"Sure," Blitzwing replied, and then moved quickly towards the exit hatch. "Open up, Astrotrain," he called, but the door had already opened for him. Blitzwing leaped off the shuttle, transforming into his jet mode, and shot forward into the night sky as he activated his rocket boosters.</p><p>It didn't take long for him to return. Two of the seekers carried a third on board as they followed Blitzwing into the shuttle. Once they were all inside, the two seekers placed their leader gently down against the wall of the shuttle, and then stepped back, turning to the other Destrons.</p><p>"Can you help him?" Thundercracker asked them.</p><p>Megatron kneeled close to the fallen jet-former, examining him carefully. His expression slowly changed to a grimace. "His control circuitry has been compromised. We must find a way to bring him back online, before he suffers a complete systems failure," he said, looking up towards the other Destrons.</p><p>They remained quiet, and for many moments it seemed that none of them knew how to help him, but then Soundwave moved closer to the off-lined seeker, kneeling beside him. He gently moved the seeker's head to the side, and accessed a small port just underneath the helm. The other Destrons watched intently as the blue Transformer probed his neural center. After a few moments, Soundwave spoke. "I can bring him back, but the result will be unpredictable." He seemed unsure about proceeding, as if he required some kind of reassurance, or permission, to perform the procedure.</p><p>Megatron seemed to provide it. "Do it," he said with determination, and the Destrons watched nervously as Soundwave sent a calibrated pulse into the seeker's control circuitry.</p><p>There was a jolt as a surge of power was transferred, and Starscream's entire frame suddenly reacted, as if a shock of electricity had shot right through him. Soundwave supported him with one hand, so that he wouldn't fall to the floor. The reaction slowly subsided, and for a long minute it seemed as though nothing had happened. But then the seeker's optics gradually regained their brightness, and his head moved slightly towards Soundwave.</p><p>"It worked," Thundercracker said, almost whispering the words. He had been hoping against the odds that they had not lost their trine leader, and he knew that Skywarp felt the same.</p><p>Another minute passed by in silence until, finally, Starscream stirred. He murmured something, but his words were unclear.</p><p>As Soundwave gave the seeker time to readjust, Megatron addressed Astrotrain, speaking towards the shuttle's flight deck. "Take us back to Iacon," he said, with such confidence and authority that no one thought to question him. Once Astrotrain had readjusted his flight path and changed course, Megatron returned his attention to Starscream, kneeling by his side. "Starscream," he pressed, looking for a positive response.</p><p>The seeker struggled to focus upon his voice, his gaze searching for its owner. Finally, he seemed to lock on, and his optics fixed upon him in recognition. "Megatron…" he whispered, and began to push himself up against the wall. It took him a few more moments before he was able to finally make sense of his surroundings. "What… where am I? What happened?" he asked in confusion.</p><p>"You're aboard Astrotrain," Blitzwing offered. "We're not sure what happened to you."</p><p>"Astro… train," Starscream repeated, still in a weakened state, though his strength was slowly starting to pick up. Then, he noticed the communications expert by his side, and tried to remember how they'd all happened to be here. He couldn't recall. He attempted to stand, and Soundwave helped him up. "Jhiaxus–" He said suddenly in panic, as the memory of his capture entered his mind, and of the blast which had rendered him unconscious. He looked about him, as if the Liege's second in command might be waiting for him just outside the shuttle. "Jhiaxus!" he repeated, and looked towards his trine mates.</p><p>"He did this to you?" Thundercracker asked him.</p><p>Starscream hesitated. "Yes," he replied, and then looked towards Megatron, his optics fixated on him once more. He shook his head slowly, as if he was trying hard to comprehend something, but the more he focused upon the silver and black Destron, the more difficulty he seemed to experience. He faltered, and almost fell back into the wall, had Soundwave not caught hold of his arm. "What's… happening… to me?" he demanded, panic evident in his voice.</p><p>"Starscream," Megatron said his name, trying to reassure him, but then, in a moment that no one aboard the shuttle expected, Starscream turned on him. He pulled away from Soundwave's grip and stepped back in defence, pointing his arm mounted null ray directly towards his mentor.</p><p>"<em>You</em>… you double-crossed me!" he said, his voice wavering in anger and resentment. "I… I <em>trusted</em> you!" His optics were accusatory, yet almost pleading, and showed the signs of a terrible mental struggle that threatened to overwhelm him.</p><p>His trine mates looked on in shock and confusion, and Skywarp stepped towards him, attempting to intervene before the situation got any worse. "Starscream, try to calm down," he said, but Starscream wouldn't listen.</p><p>"Calm down? Don't tell me to calm down, Skywarp!" He kept his weapon pointed at his mentor, his arm trembling from the emotion. "He <em>wanted</em> Jhiaxus to find me! He set me up!" He looked back towards Megatron, who had not spoken a word since his close friend had turned against him.</p><p>"Starscream, you're not yourself. Please, let us help you," he finally said, and took a step forwards, but Starscream wouldn't allow him.</p><p>"Don't come any closer!" The seeker was becoming increasingly frantic, uncontrollable. "I trusted you!"</p><p>Megatron slowly stepped back, and then glanced towards Soundwave. The communications expert had been watching the two of them intently, and knew what he had to do without having to be told.</p><p>Before Starscream realized what was happening, Soundwave adjusted his sonic blaster to the required setting and released a well aimed pulse in his direction – and he was instantly deactivated. The blue Destron moved quickly, catching the seeker before he crashed to the floor, and gently laid him down. When he stood up again, the other seekers were looking at one another, wondering what in the hell had happened to have caused their leader to act in such a way, and finally looked towards the silver and black Transformer for answers.</p><p>Megatron hesitated, the look of regret and disappointment on his face unmistakeable. "This is my fault," he said, finally. "I should have never left him alone." He fully expected the seeker's trine mates to blame him for what had befallen their leader, and was fully prepared for it, but his expectations were never realized; they seemed to empathize, their only concern being how they might be able to help their trine mate. Obviously, Starscream could not continue to function in his current state.</p><p>"What are we going to do?" Thundercracker finally asked, to nobody in particular. "I've never seen him act this way before."</p><p>"I have a friend in Iacon who might be able to reverse the damage," Megatron replied. He was visibly tense, his hands clenched into tight fists. He paused, deep in thought, before he spoke again. "And then, when I find those responsible, I will make them pay for what they've done."</p><p>No one spoke another word. The other Destrons may not have known Megatron as well as Starscream did, but something about his presence and the conviction in his voice told them that he was deadly serious, and more than capable of carrying out his promise.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The small group of Destrons arrived safely outside Iacon's Technological Science and Research Station, and Astrotrain transformed into his robot mode after the others had exited from his shuttle mode. Carrying the unconscious seeker in his arms, Megatron proceeded towards the large building without speaking a word. The others waited for him outside, watching him go.</p><p>As he headed straight for the laboratory, Megatron ignored the alarmed looks of the occasional Autobot as he walked past them, startled by the off-lined Destron he carried.</p><p>He walked through the laboratory's entrance, and Shockwave turned towards them. The guardian immediately moved to take Starscream from his arms, placing him down gently on an empty berth. He was familiar with the seeker; Megatron had spoken about him in the past, and he was also aware of his reputation amongst the Autobots.</p><p>Shockwave did not need to ask what had happened to him; he had seen a similar fate befall other Destrons. There weren't many Cybertronians who possessed the knowledge, or the skill, to be able to perform such an invasive procedure; other than himself, Shockwave knew of only two Autobots and one Destron who could even come close to the level of expertise that would be required.</p><p>He began to connect Starscream's neural center to specialized equipment and a monitor, and then gradually proceeded to bring his systems back online, save for some higher functions. He set his equipment to search the seeker for abnormalities, beginning with his core programming and then extending into the various sub-programs. It took almost an hour before the entire process was complete. Megatron had watched silently, as Shockwave meticulously analysed the output until, finally, he turned to his friend to inform him of what he had found. "The inserted codes are well hidden. They have merged with a number of his core programs, including his main memory module. I won't be able to remove them entirely without risking a complete system reset."</p><p>Megatron walked over to the berth, looked upon his friend. He finally spoke, for the first time since he had brought him to Iacon. "Can you restore him?"</p><p>Shockwave stood motionless as he analysed the probable outcome for the corrective procedure that would need to be performed, and then slowly turned to look down at the patient. "I should be able to remove most of the programming; however, restoring his system back to its original condition… is most unlikely."</p><p>The Destron nodded, not wanting to think of the alternative scenario should Shockwave fail to repair the damage. A complete system reset was not an outcome that Megatron cared to entertain. Such a procedure would mean that Starscream would not only lose his entire memory of all that he had ever experienced since his creation, but his very personality would be reset as well, which meant that he would, essentially, no longer be Starscream. "Very well. Do what you can," he told Shockwave, and exited the laboratory.</p><p> </p><p>* * *</p><p> </p><p>There was commotion outside the Research Station, as a group of Autobots confronted the five Destrons who had accompanied Megatron to Iacon. Behind them, other Destrons had been brought together by the Autobot guards. Megatron headed towards them as he exited the building, and demanded to know what was happening.</p><p>The team of Autobots was headed by Sentinel's advisor, Prowl, who proceeded to inform Megatron of their latest directive, which had been recently issued by the Autobot government. "All Destrons must leave Iacon, immediately," he said, with minimal emotion. "Your kind is no longer welcome here."</p><p>Several Destrons began to contest the directive, talking all at once, until Megatron motioned for them to allow him to speak. "We are not leaving," he said simply. "Not until we have what we came for."</p><p>Everyone quieted down, as the Autobot guards looked at one another in hesitation. There were too many Destrons gathered for them to be able to avoid a confrontation if they were to attempt to remove them by force, and Prowl did not want to create unnecessary trouble. "What is it that you have come here for?" he asked the leader of the Destrons.</p><p>"One of ours has been severely compromised. He requires special treatment, and is in Shockwave's care as we speak," Megatron informed him.</p><p>Prowl looked about at all the gathered Destrons, and then nodded in acknowledgement. "I'll have to confirm it. Wait here." As the Autobot proceeded to contact his superior, Megatron looked back at his original group, and then at the other Destrons. They appeared confused, unsure of their current situation and of what would happen to them now. Iacon had been their home for as long as they could remember, and now they would be driven away, banished to wherever they could find a new home. After a few minutes, Prowl returned with his answer. "We'll give all of you exactly one hour to leave Iacon. After that, we'll have to start making arrests. I'm sorry…" he told them, and the Destron crowd began to protest once more.</p><p>"Why are they being treated in this way?" Megatron asked the Autobot, his tone accusatory. "They have done nothing wrong."</p><p>Prowl hesitated to answer, and he had to speak over the angry voices behind them to give him his reply. "It's just a precautionary measure. We don't want any Destron rebels to compromise Iacon, especially with Liege Maximus' forces growing stronger."</p><p>"These Destrons are not rebels," Megatron reminded him, indicating those from Iacon. "They have nothing to do with any of the resistance groups."</p><p>One of the Destrons from the crowd stepped forward. "He's right. We don't want any trouble." It was Scrapper, the purple and green leader of his construction crew. His five team mates stood behind him. Alongside them were the Insecti-trons; Shrapnel, Kickback and Bombshell.</p><p>"I'm just following orders," Prowl told them. "If they have an issue with the new directive, I suggest they take it up with Sentinel."</p><p>"Sentinel won't listen to them any more than he'll listen to me," Megatron informed him, growing increasingly frustrated with the Autobot's attitude.</p><p>"Look, I have nothing more to say about it," Sentinel's advisor replied, also showing an increasing level of frustration.</p><p>"This conversation is getting us nowhere," Megatron said, finally. He turned back towards the crowd of Destrons, addressing them. "It appears that the Autobots no longer wish to help us." He paused as they responded, demanding answers.</p><p>Megatron considered their options. If the Destrons were no longer welcome in Iacon, then they needed to establish a new base of operations, one in which they would be safe from not only the Autobots' growing resentments and mistrust of them, but from the other Destron groups as well. However, he could think of only two locations on Cybertron that might be suitable for such a purpose; Kolkular, in Kaon, and Darkmount, in Polyhex, but both these places were currently occupied. Yet, if they were to run and hide, they would eventually become divided and then, in such a weakened position, easily conquered by the various rebel groups. Given that Megatron already faced the very real possibility that he might lose his good friend to the cruel punishment that had been inflicted upon him by Kaon's tyrannical war lord, he was not in any frame of mind to run from this new setback.</p><p>Megatron finally arrived at a decision; a decision that would not only allow him to exact revenge for the suffering that his friend was made to endure, but one that would also ensure his fellow Destrons would have some place to call home. He addressed the crowd again. "More than ever before, we must come together with a common purpose. We all share the same right as any Autobot to lead a life of our own choosing, free from fear or oppression." He paused, watching the crowd's reaction; he seemed to be garnering their support with every moment that passed. "My fellow Destrons, together we are strong. United, no one will be able to defeat us. Stand together, and we can take Kaon! Stand with me, and I will lead us… to victory!"</p><p>The Destrons cheered. They had longed for a leader who was willing to guide them and show them the way towards a brighter future; someone who they could look up to, who would finally be able to step up and offer to take control of their destiny. He had not planned for any of this; but, somehow, it seemed that Megatron had become that leader.</p><p> </p><p>* * *</p><p> </p><p>When Megatron returned to the laboratory almost an hour later, he was confronted by Sentinel Prime and a few of his Autobot guards. The Autobot leader had taken the opportunity to visit the ill-famed Air Commander in person, while he informed Cybertron's guardian of the new Autobot directive.</p><p>"What are you doing here?" Megatron confronted him. "He is of no concern to you," he said, indicating towards Starscream. Shockwave, who had been intently working to extract the erroneous programming from the seeker's control circuitry, had ignored Sentinel for the most part.</p><p>"He is a Destron," Sentinel retorted, "and not just any Destron, but one who has been the cause of much dissention in the past. Quite simply, he cannot be trusted." Sentinel moved towards the Destron leader, presenting him with an unspoken challenge. "I have an order for his arrest. As soon as Shockwave has completed his work here, you will hand him over to me."</p><p>Megatron stood before him in defiance. "I will do no such thing, Sentinel Prime. He is under my protection now."</p><p>Sentinel sneered at him, looked upon him with obvious disdain. "We shall see about <em>that</em>." He turned towards Shockwave, who was still fully focused upon the seeker. "Shockwave, step away from the Destron." When Shockwave did not respond to his command, Sentinel tried again. "I'm not going to tell you again, Shockwave. <em>Step… away… from… Starscream</em>."</p><p>Finally, Shockwave stood up to his full height, and turned around to face the Prime. He slowly walked forwards, until he came face to face with the Autobot leader. The two Transformers were more or less evenly matched, both in stature and in strength, though Sentinel was more heavily armed. "I do not take orders from you," the purple Cybertronian replied unemotionally, which only roused Sentinel's anger even more.</p><p>"You <em>will</em> do as I say!" Sentinel growled in a fit of rage, and motioned for his Autobot guards to arrest the Cybertronian guardian, but they were no match for him. In less than a nanosecond, Shockwave had transformed his left hand into a laser gun, and had fired it at the Autobot guards without hesitation. The powerful blasts sent two of the guards sprawling as they fell to the floor. The other two backed away, reluctant to challenge the large Transformer.</p><p>The monitor near Starscream's berth began to sound in alert, and Shockwave turned towards it. He needed to return to his work; the delicate procedure required constant monitoring in order to avoid a cascade failure, which would cause irreversible damage to the patient.</p><p>"Go," Megatron told him, "I will deal with Sentinel."</p><p>Sentinel's optics glowed in anger at the Destron leader; he was not about to give up his position so easily. He activated his shoulder-mounted fusion cannon, and pointed it directly at Megatron. "How ironic that you shall be destroyed by the very weapon that was created by our mutual friend here," he said, speaking the last three words with sarcasm. Shockwave had, indeed, invented the fusion cannon which the Autobot leader now wielded, though he had never intended for it to be used against his Destron friend.</p><p>Megatron's own weapon was no match for the fusion cannon. "Don't do this, Sentinel. Allow Starscream to leave with us, and I promise you, he shall never set foot in Iacon again."</p><p>Sentinel laughed, mocking him. "You Destron fool! Your kind are all the same. I should have had you all destroyed the moment you started thinking for yourselves." He gave the Destron a contorted smile, and charged up the fusion cannon. "Now, say goodbye, Megatron," he said, and fired the cannon.</p><p>The power of the charge seemed to electrify the atmosphere in the room, and for a moment Sentinel thought that he had defeated his adversary. However, Megatron had pre-empted the shot, and had moved out of the path of the blast. Before Sentinel realized what was happening, the Destron leader charged towards him, tackling him. His right fist made contact with Sentinel's face, and the Autobot leader stumbled and fell to the floor. Relentless, Megatron placed a foot on his torso, holding him down, and without warning grabbed hold of the detachable fusion cannon and tore it off Sentinel's shoulder mount. Then, as he pointed it down at Sentinel's chest, the Autobot leader looked up at him in horror.</p><p>"You were saying?" Megatron returned and, with the same level of coldness that the Prime had shown towards him, he fired the weapon, and Sentinel was instantly deactivated.</p><p>Megatron stepped back and looked around him. The remainder of the Autobot guards, who had watched the confrontation in shock, now backed away, heading for the exit, and Megatron did not stop them. He examined the fusion cannon is his hand, and decided that it would suit him far better than it had ever suited Sentinel Prime. Then, he walked over to the berth; the purple guardian had been carefully monitoring the progress of Starscream's recovery operation, and now looked up at him.</p><p>"It is almost complete," Shockwave said, and then glanced towards the cannon in Megatron's hand. "That can be modified to fit you," he offered.</p><p>Megatron nodded in approval. "You can no longer stay here," he said, changing the subject.</p><p>Shockwave nodded. "Agreed," he replied. But the simple fact was that, with the recent turn of events, he would have no place to go.</p><p>"You are welcome with us," Megatron told him. "Once we have removed the Liege from his seat of power, Kaon will be ours."</p><p>Shockwave considered the offer, but did not give a reply. Instead, he looked toward the monitor near Starscream. "The process is complete," he said, and then proceeded to remove the equipment from the seeker.</p><p>Megatron watched him intently, and was almost too afraid to ask his next question. "Can you reactivate him?" Starscream seemed to be at peace; he had a calm, restful expression on his face. The complete opposite to what he had been aboard the shuttle.</p><p>Shockwave nodded once, and then slowly reached across to the seeker's control port beneath his helm. He hesitated. "The procedure was largely successful; however, as predicted I was not able to reverse the code completely. His automated responses may continue to show some instability, although to what extent I cannot say with any certainty. In time, his systems will adjust and, with luck and… some encouragement… he will learn to override the erroneous programming through his own force of will." Then, once he'd finished speaking, he reactivated the seeker.</p><p>Starscream's optics came online, and he looked up at the two Transformers standing beside him. He slowly sat up, and then examined his hands, turning them over, slowly clenching them into fists and then opening them again, as if to reassure himself that he was still alive and functioning properly. He slid off the berth and stood upright, and then slowly focused his gaze upon his mentor. "Megatron," he acknowledged, as the two of them watched him intently. Megatron was prepared for the worst; imagining a repeat of the scene in the shuttle. But this time, however, he received a completely different response. "Please, forgive me…" Starscream started. "On the shuttle… I… I wasn't myself…"</p><p>Megatron stopped him before he could say anything more. "There is no need for that." He glanced towards Shockwave in silent communication; the procedure, indeed, appeared to have been a success and he was much relieved that, for the moment at least, Starscream was back.</p><p>The seeker noticed the fusion cannon Megatron was holding, and then glanced across at Sentinel Prime, who was still off-line on the floor nearby. "What have I missed?" he asked, impressed, his familiar sense of humour slowly returning.</p><p>"Oh… not much," Megatron replied, his spirits now lifting.</p><p>Starscream gave him a cynical look. "Why do I get the feeling that there's something you're not telling me?"</p><p>Megatron responded with a reassuring chuckle. "You'll find out very soon, Starscream," he said, and smiled knowingly. "I think you'll be most pleased."</p><p> </p><p>* * *</p><p> </p><p>'Most pleased' proved to be quite an understatement. Just outside Iacon, Starscream watched the gathered Destrons in astonishment. He had never expected them all to come together like this in support of a common goal; removing Liege Maximus from power. Megatron had informed him of the Autobots' new position against the Destrons, to which he had responded with a knowing look. "That does not surprise me," he had said.</p><p>Starscream, having been reunited with his trine mates, now stood beside Megatron as their new leader addressed the Destrons once more. There was a certain level of excitement and trepidation as they debated amongst themselves how, exactly, they would defeat the Liege, but their new leader soon provided them with the answer, setting them on a course that was the beginning of a new, and unexpected, revolution.</p><p>"We will not be able to overpower the Liege's forces by brute force alone; he has twice the numbers that we have currently, and safeguards a substantial amount of energy and resources for his own use," Megatron began, and the crowd quieted down to listen. "If we are to defeat him, we must adapt quickly. We must call upon all of our unique strengths and abilities." He paused, and the crowd murmured their approval. "It is only with guile, that we shall be able to fool them; with cunning that we shall be able to infiltrate their defences. With tools of deception we shall quell their pride and bring down their arrogance." The Destrons continued to vocalize their support, as tentative cheers and words of encouragement broke out amongst them. Megatron allowed them time to reflect upon his words before he continued. "We must become more than what we are, not only to survive, but to prosper. We can no longer be Destrons – classed as second rate and treated as inferior. We must evolve… and reinvent who and what we are, so that we may distinguish ourselves from all others…" The cheering erupted again, but this time it was louder and stronger. The leader glanced towards his two companions – Starscream to his right and Shockwave to his left – and saw their approval, their satisfaction. "From this day forth, we shall be called…" He hesitated, looking for the right word.</p><p>Starscream finished for him. "Decepticons…" the Air Commander uttered, and then repeated the newly coined term. "We shall be called Decepticons."</p><p>Megatron silently appraised the name for their new group, before he gave a small smile. "Decepticons…" he repeated, sounding out the word. He liked it. In fact, he had liked it the very moment Starscream had first come up with it all those years ago; <em>Decepticon</em> had been a name Starscream had given him whenever he had managed to outwit the seeker during one of their spirited philosophical debates. "Yes," he said, nodding his head in approval, and then turned back towards the crowd, addressing them once again. "We shall be called Decepticons!" he repeated in a loud voice, so that all gathered could hear him.</p><p>The crowd responded with shouts and cheers as support for their new leader, and their new group, gathered momentum. "<em>Decepticons!</em>" they chanted in response, the collective voices of the former Destrons coalescing into a single entity. They repeated the word over and over, fists punching the air in a demonstration of their determination and approval. "<em>Decepticons!</em>… <em>Decepticons!</em>"</p>
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<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Jhiaxus stormed through the Kolkular fortress with his personal team of guards. He approached the throne room, and stopped short just outside the entrance. The Liege was looking out of the small, barred window, his back turned to the jet; he released a guttural sound that reminded Jhiaxus of a wild beast about to pounce upon its prey.</p><p>"My Liege," he began, and then waited for the large Destron ruler to interrupt him, as he had a habit of doing whenever something was bothering him; however, this time he remained silent, so Jhiaxus continued. "There are several Destrons approaching from Polyhex. It appears that Straxus has learned of our intended attack."</p><p>The Liege growled in anger, and slowly turned to face his second in command. "Starscream?"</p><p>Jhiaxus nodded in the affirmative. "It appears so, my Liege." The Air Commander and his seekers had disappeared from Kaon shortly after he had returned the unconscious seeker to his trine mates - they had most likely joined Straxus' forces in a deliberate act of rebellion.</p><p>"Assemble the troops." Maximus turned back to look out his window. "We will put an end to their little party before they even realize what has happened. Do not return until every last one of them is destroyed." He paused, clenching his fist.</p><p>The large Destron jet bowed his head, as he began to plan the total annihilation of their foes. "Yes, my Liege," he said in compliance, before leaving.</p><p> </p><p>* * *</p><p> </p><p>Shockwave led the Insecti-trons – now <em>Insecticons</em>, a group name change to reflect their new allegiance – along a little-known route that led directly into Kolkular's underground passageways. Their first task as Decepticons was to locate all of the base's subterranean escape routes, and block them. This was a pre-emptive manoeuvre, in case the Liege decided to make his escape through the underground tunnels, should he and his army be forced to flee, but it would also help prevent easy access to the fortress in future, in case he ever attempted to retake the base.</p><p>As soon as they found one of the passages, Shrapnel and his team mates set to work, processing and resynthesizing the raw material of the subterranean rock into neat reinforced blocks, which Shockwave was then able to seal using his laser gun.</p><p>"This is far more enjoyable than working for the Autobots," Kickback said. He and his friends were in their insect modes, as they worked much faster that way.</p><p>"Yes, Kickback," Shrapnel replied, "and much more appetizing, appetizing."</p><p> </p><p>* * *</p><p> </p><p>A half hour earlier, Soundwave had gained access to Liege Maximus' hijacked satellite and had uploaded a false data set. He had programmed it with information that would cause the Liege and his chain of command to believe that Straxus was leading an attack party from Polyhex when, in actuality, no such party existed.</p><p>Once this had been successfully achieved, he had set out with his fellow Decepticons towards Kolkular, approaching it from the opposite direction. This would give them ample time to work out their plan of attack, as the unsuspecting Liege would be focused upon deploying his troops in an effort to intercept the phantom party; he would eventually discover their ploy, but not before his forces could reassemble for a counterattack.</p><p>"Objective: successful," Soundwave reported from their position just outside the Kolkular base. "Jhiaxus is leading a party to intercept the illusory threat."</p><p>"Most excellent, Soundwave," Megatron commended the communications expert. Then, he turned to the Air Commander. "Starscream, is there a way inside the fortress without attracting too much attention?"</p><p>Starscream looked up towards the Central Tower that loomed directly above them. "It is possible, Megatron," he replied, "but it won't be easy. The Liege has guards posted along the perimeter at every turn. A few of us might be able to drop in through the top of that tower, but there could be more Destrons waiting for us just out of sight."</p><p>The Decepticon leader nodded in contemplation, and then turned back to the blue Transformer. "Soundwave, are you able to determine how many are guarding that tower?"</p><p>"Affirmative, Megatron," he replied, and opened his chest compartment, releasing one of his mini-cassette spies. "Laserbeak: ascertain enemy positions and report back." The spy resembled the form of a modified miniature jet; it transformed in mid-air and flew up towards the top of the tower.</p><p>After a minute or two he returned, unharmed, and landed on Megatron's shoulder. He did not utilize normal speech patterns, so Soundwave translated for him. "Laserbeak reports: two Destron spies are positioned behind the Central Tower, and four Destrons guard the topmost access way."</p><p>Megatron considered their options. "Blitzwing, you and Astrotrain will take out the two spies and then secure the tower from the ground level. Starscream, Thundercracker, Skywarp; we will take the four Destrons at the top." The Decepticons acknowledged their new instructions with eagerness. Finally, he turned again to the cassette's guardian. "Soundwave, as soon as we give the signal, I want you and the rest of the Decepticons to secure the perimeter." Soundwave nodded in acknowledgment.</p><p>Megatron and the seekers took to the air in their robot modes, towards the tower, while Blitzwing and Astrotrain ran ahead and leaped over the perimeter wall, heading for the base of the Central Tower. Just as Laserbeak had warned, two spies were waiting around the other side, but they were taken by surprise by the two Decepticons and did not have enough time to respond. Astrotrain's ionizing rifle quickly put the larger of the two spies out of action, while Blitzwing took care of the other one with his gyro-blaster.</p><p>"Easy as silicon slag," Blitzwing commented, following Astrotrain, who had already disappeared through the tower's main entrance.</p><p>Above them, the sounds of distant laser fire could be heard, as the four Decepticons fought against four Destrons, one of whom had fallen backwards from the tower and had come crashing down to the ground beside Blitzwing. "Ooh, that's gotta hurt," he said, wincing.</p><p>The three remaining Destrons were easily overpowered by Megatron and the three seekers, who then forced open the heavy door at the top of the tower to make their way inside.</p><p>The Central Tower was large, and the inside was dimly lit. There was a wide staircase near the access way, and Starscream led the Decepticons towards it. "This will take us to the Liege's private chambers," he said warily. "It will probably be well guarded."</p><p>"Then the sooner we find him, the better," Megatron said, and led the charge down the steps.</p><p>Just as Starscream had warned, they were greeted by four Destrons waiting for them on one of the platforms; however, the Liege did not appear to be in his chambers. Starscream recognized them; they were seekers who had been under his command. "No, wait," he indicated to the Decepticon leader, who was just about to disable them with his newly acquired fusion cannon, now mounted on his right forearm. From the bottom of the staircase, they could hear laser fire breaking out. "Let me speak to them."</p><p>A yellow seeker had his blaster pointed at them. "Starscream? Thundercracker? What the hell do you think you're doing?" His team mates, Acid Storm, Bitstream and Hotlink, were also ready to take defensive action at a moment's notice.</p><p>Starscream addressed the lead seeker by name, getting directly to the point. "Sunstorm, we have come to put an end to the Liege's tyranny." There was a pause, as the seeker fixed his gaze upon the Decepticons, not daring to move. "He plans to attack the Autobots, and overtake Cybertron. If we allow that to happen, there'll be no stopping him; he will plunder the planet's energy and resources until ruin and devastation is all that will remain."</p><p>The four seekers wavered, uncertain. "How do we know we can trust you, Starscream?" Acid Storm, the green colored one, asked, as he looked at the unfamiliar silver and black Transformer standing beside the Air Commander.</p><p>"I've never led you astray before," Starscream replied. "Why would I start now?"</p><p>Then Skywarp spoke to them. "Listen to him, Acid; he's telling the truth. Many Destrons from Iacon, and some from Polyhex, have already pledged their allegiance to the Decepticons," he explained, indicating their new group. "It's only a matter of time now before the Liege is defeated."</p><p>"Besides, if you don't join us," Starscream added, "we will have no choice but to destroy you."</p><p>Two other Decepticons appeared from the lower staircase; Blitzwing and Astrotrain. "The tower's been secured," Astrotrain informed his companions.</p><p>"So, what'll it be?" Starscream asked Sunstorm again, and the yellow seeker slowly retracted his weapon. A few moments later, his team mates followed his lead.</p><p>"Alright, we're in," he said, and Starscream smiled in approval. As the Decepticons began to head down the staircase, Sunstorm spoke again. "Wait – we can get the other seekers on board as well." He awaited the Air Commander's permission and, as soon as he received it, the four Destron seekers, now Decepticons, headed in the opposite direction up the staircase on their new mission.</p><p>"Where to now?" Starscream asked their leader. "The Liege seems to have fled," he added, making fun of the war lord. Maximus must have found out about their unexpected visit, and had probably attempted to relocate underground with the intention of setting a trap for the Decepticons. However, Starscream was usually able to pre-empt his tactics; a short while earlier, he had sent the Insecticons to secure the underground passageways, with Shockwave's assistance.</p><p>Megatron gave him an immediate answer. "Now we crash Jhiaxus' party. There'll be plenty of time to deal with the Liege later."</p><p> </p><p>* * *</p><p> </p><p>It did not take long for Sunstorm and his team mates to locate the trine of modified jet-formers. He knew that they would be easily persuaded to abandon the Liege's forces in favour of the new Decepticon cause.</p><p>Their names were Dirge, Ramjet and Thrust. They had been recruited by Starscream after having been condemned to the smelting pools of Darkmount by Straxus himself, as punishment after a failed coup against the Air Commander. Dirge had been grateful to him for saving his and his team mates' lives, and had only agreed to serve the Liege as long as Starscream remained loyal to the war lord. However, all that had now changed.</p><p>Sunstorm found the three of them heading back towards the Central Tower; they had just returned from a scouting mission to Polyhex. Landing on top of the tower, they transformed and greeted the four seekers.</p><p>Dirge, the leader of his trine, immediately sensed that something had happened. "Sunstorm?"</p><p>The yellow seeker proceeded to inform the Destron jets of the recent turn of events, and the intentions of the new Decepticon group. "We know how you feel about Starscream, and thought that you should know," he said, finally.</p><p>Dirge turned to his team mates, startled by the news. The Liege had remained in control of Kaon for so long now; it seemed almost too good to be true that a radical new group, these Decepticons, would be capable of finally putting an end to his reign. If it was true, it was nothing short of a miracle. His team mates looked back at him, stunned; however, Dirge knew that he had their full support, whatever his decision. "Count us in," he said decisively, turning back to Sunstorm.</p>
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<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>After the team of Decepticons led by Megatron exited the Central Tower, Soundwave received the signal to secure the perimeter. He moved quickly, his shoulder cannon at the ready and concussion blaster in hand. He had deployed both Rumble and Frenzy to assist him in the task. The six construction Decepticons accompanied them, as they all took their positions progressively along the outer wall, moving ever forwards in preparation for any challenge that might arise.</p><p>The first team of Destrons they encountered were a group of six land vehicle robots, who had transformed into their car modes before driving straight for the group of Decepticons.</p><p>The largest of them, and the one who appeared to be their leader, challenged Soundwave's team. "Well, well, look what we've got here," he said, attempting to run Soundwave over in his large freighter mode. "Intruders!"</p><p>Soundwave moved out of harm's way, firing his blaster at the Destron. Within seconds, a battle erupted as each side opened fire upon the other. However, whilst the Decepticons outnumbered them, the Liege's soldiers had the advantage as they sped towards their opponents, threatening them with head-on collisions.</p><p>The Destron team leader was relentless towards Soundwave, who was left to defend himself as his team of Decepticons were forced to confront the other Destrons. Scrapper had narrowly avoided a clash with a black and red car, while his team mates struggled to avoid becoming just another of the Liege's trophies as the wild team's careless antics took them all by surprise. Only Demolishor, who battled a white and blue car, appeared to have the advantage over his enemy, as he used his strength against the oncoming Destron car, successfully overturning the vehicle and smashing it into the perimeter wall. The construction Decepticon then moved to assist his team mates, but was confronted by the large truck and had to leap out of the way to avoid becoming flattened underneath the giant wheels. Hook, Mixmaster and Scavenger were being fired upon by two speeding Destrons and were steadily losing ground, whilst Long Haul was not faring much better against another two, though Rumble and Frenzy had come to his aid.</p><p>"Give up now and surrender," the large truck bellowed, as he charged towards Soundwave once again, but the guardian of the mini-cassettes ignored his threats. He fired a pulse from his cannon, which hit the truck's front wheel and forced him to veer off course.</p><p>But this had only made the truck angry and, transforming into robot mode, he picked himself up and ran towards the blue Decepticon in an effort to overpower him. The Destron was much larger and stronger than Soundwave; however, the Decepticon was quicker, and moved out of his way before he could be tackled to the ground.</p><p>The two groups continued firing at one another and for several minutes it seemed as though the Decepticons would never be able to turn the tide in their favour, until help arrived. Sunstorm and his seekers approached their location from the sky, firing shots towards the Destrons as they got closer. They had managed to bring back another three seekers with them.</p><p>The seven newcomers landed, all in their robot modes, and immediately opened fire upon the Destron cars. This helped tip the balance of power; the Destrons were now no match for the Decepticons, and the battle was soon over.</p><p>The cars reverted to their robot modes, as they were gathered together against the perimeter wall by the construction Decepticons, who had since recovered from the skirmish.</p><p>"Not so tough now, huh?" Rumble jeered at the Destron team leader, who stood with his arms crossed and a scowl upon his face.</p><p>Soundwave recognized the large Transformer; they had fought a number of times in the past, when Straxus had stood in direct opposition to the Liege's plans.</p><p>Frenzy challenged the Destrons, speaking for Soundwave. "Us Decepticons are now in charge," he said, indicating towards his immediate companions, as well as the seekers and the construction robots. "So, you can come to your senses and help us knock the Liege off his perch, or you can all eat our dust."</p><p>The Destron leader growled. "Or, why don't I turn you all over to him just so I can enjoy watching the Liege mould you all into slag cake?"</p><p>"Why don't you put your metal where your mouth is, Motor<em>breath</em>," Rumble retorted, defending his companions, as Soundwave and his team redirected all their weapons towards the Destron leader. Since Motormaster had made it clear where his loyalties lay, the Decepticons would now have to deactivate him and his subordinates.</p><p>But just as they were about to be sent into oblivion one of the car robots stepped forwards and spoke up. "Hold on just a second – Motormaster doesn't speak for me. Not any more." Soundwave held his position, but allowed the car to speak.</p><p>The Destron leader turned to look down at the black robot in surprised anger. "What the hell do you think you're doing, Blackjack?" his voice boomed.</p><p>Blackjack ignored him, but instead turned towards his team mates. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm tired of taking orders from him." He indicated towards Motormaster and then, ignoring his better judgement, walked right past his former leader, averting his optics, and stepped towards the group of Decepticons. "I'll help, if you'll have me," he said to them.</p><p>Rumble and Frenzy celebrated with a gesture that looked like some sort of hand shake, obviously very pleased with themselves. "How about the rest of you?" Frenzy asked the car robots behind Motormaster.</p><p>The Destrons glanced at their leader, who returned them a look that said he would promise to kill them if they even so much as considered betraying him. For a long moment, they appeared to be frozen to the spot, defeated by their obvious fear of the large Transformer.</p><p>Then, the yellow robot slowly stepped forwards past Motormaster. "I'm here to win," he said simply, taking his place beside Blackjack. Motormaster attempted to step forwards and grab him by the neck, but Soundwave reminded him of what would happen if he attempted to assert control.</p><p>"I'm with Drag Strip and Blackjack," said another of the car robots; he was the one that had almost run into Scrapper earlier. He pushed his way past Motormaster to join the Decepticon team.</p><p>Blackjack looked at his team mate in disbelief. "Didn't think you'd side with us, Wildrider," he said.</p><p>Wildrider shrugged. "Eh, what the hell. Besides, you're right about Motormaster; he's just as demented as Maximus," he stated.</p><p>That left two car Destrons who hadn't yet moved or spoken a word. Blackjack looked over at the blue and white car, who had been propelled into the wall by Demolishor earlier. "Breakdown, get your exhaust over here," he demanded. He knew that Breakdown needed a little encouragement, as he was generally terrified of crossing Motormaster but at the same time resented him and wouldn't hesitate to turn against his leadership if he felt that he could get away with it.</p><p>Breakdown looked towards Motormaster, but then quickly averted his optics as he built up enough courage to join his other team mates, who had just become Decepticons. Before he did so, he grabbed hold of the red car robot beside him. "Come on, Dead End," he said, as he took the lead, guiding them towards their other team mates and rushing past Motormaster as quickly as he could, too afraid to turn back.</p><p>"Looks like the party's over, Motorbrains," Frenzy said to the remaining Destron, self-satisfied.</p><p>Soundwave contemplated what they should do with Motormaster, and then shrugged as he discharged a continuous round of cannon pulses. The Destron truck dropped heavily to the ground, as his control circuitry was temporarily disrupted. He would get over it, eventually.</p><p> </p><p>* * *</p><p> </p><p>When Megatron and the Decepticons who accompanied him approached Jhiaxus and his party, the second in command was already in a rank mood, having just realized that the attack party from Polyhex had been nothing but a ruse. All he could think about was how he would take out his revenge upon the former Destron Air Commander, whom he strongly suspected had played a part in the subterfuge. He found it difficult to keep his rage under control, particularly when he felt that he had been made to look like a fool.</p><p>"Starscream," he threatened, his voice filled with malice, "you should not have returned to Kaon."</p><p>Starscream was about to say something in response, but Megatron spoke first. The Decepticon leader stepped forwards, showing no sign of fear of Jhiaxus or regard for the missile launcher which he now brandished. "You should have chosen your enemies more wisely," he returned.</p><p>Jhiaxus slowly focused his attention upon the Decepticon leader. "Get out of my way, before you and your pathetic band of followers end up as spare parts for the Liege." Then, he looked towards the Air Commander. "Starscream is <em>mine</em>!" he threatened, and activated his missile launcher.</p><p>The energy-blast left a trail of electrical discharge through the air, narrowly missing Megatron. "Destroy them!" Jhiaxus gave the order, his battle cry amidst return fire as the Decepticons retaliated in a full assault upon his party of seven.</p><p>Immediately, both sides sustained several direct hits, but it seemed that they were evenly matched; the Decepticons were going to need additional firepower if they were to defeat Jhiaxus and his team.</p><p>"Megatron!" The Air Commander looked towards their leader in sudden realization. "If you transform, you might be able to provide additional power to that fusion cannon. You could take down Jhiaxus with one shot!"</p><p>The Decepticon leader hesitated. "It might not work correctly with my transformation mode." He and Shockwave were the only two Cybertronians known to have been created with a weapon-type alternate mode. Megatron had not used his for many years, as he had not had any reason to, until now, and the recent modifications that Shockwave had made to his configuration had not yet been put to the test.</p><p>"What better time to try it out than now?" Starscream responded.</p><p>If his transformation circuits weren't properly calibrated, a power surge from the cannon could backfire into his main circuitry, causing extensive damage. Furthermore, if Megatron withdrew his attention away from Jhiaxus even for a second, the moving target would be unhindered and would not hesitate to annihilate them all with his energy-blast missiles.</p><p>On the other hand, Jhiaxus was proving to be a very skilled and efficient warrior. His manoeuvres were highly unpredictable, as he avoided most of their firepower only to veer towards them for an instant, bombarding them with a volley of missiles. The Decepticons continued to hold him off with their own assortment of weapons; however, if the situation didn't change soon, they would run out of energy well before Jhiaxus' team did.</p><p>Megatron could see that their chances of winning were currently not in their favour, and so he transformed into his alternate mode before he could find a reason to change his mind. Before the seeker's optics, the Decepticon leader's size and form altered into that of a sleek silver and black hand gun. The fusion cannon had also modified its structure, integrating to fit as a scope, though it also served to enhance the capabilities of his original alternate mode weapon. Starscream caught the transformed gun-former neatly in his hands, and aimed it towards the enemy target.</p><p>Jhiaxus had moved in and was firing his missiles at the rest of the Decepticon team in an attempt to sequester the Air Commander from his companions, and did not expect what was about to occur, giving the Decepticons a much needed advantage.</p><p>"Well, here goes nothing," the Air Commander said to his mentor, as he held the gun with both hands and squeezed the trigger.</p><p>For a moment he thought that nothing would happen, but then he felt a sudden surge of power that almost knocked him off his feet. His trine mates watched on in astonishment as they saw the enemy jet take a direct hit from the energy pulse that had just been released from their leader's alternate mode weapon. It was spectacular, and extremely powerful, knocking Jhiaxus right out of the sky in an explosion of sparks.</p><p>"Son of a firecracker," Thundercracker muttered in amazement.</p><p>"I didn't know he could do <em>that</em>," Skywarp said, looking over at Starscream, who still held Megatron in his hands.</p><p>"Neither did I," the Air Commander replied, pleasantly surprised.</p><p> </p><p>* * *</p><p> </p><p>A short while later, Megatron's team of Decepticons had regrouped with Soundwave's party back near the Central Tower. Megatron had made contact with Shockwave; he and the Insecticons had completed closing off all underground exits, and were on their way back to join the rest of the team.</p><p>"We did not encounter the Liege," Shockwave reported, as soon as they'd returned.</p><p>"Perhaps he's taken his remaining party of losers to Praxus," Rumble spoke up, casually.</p><p>"Yeah, or to Polyhex," his twin, Frenzy, added.</p><p>Starscream looked about them, and then up towards the sky. "Most of his forces have been defeated… or have turned against him," he said, indicating the new Decepticon recruits around them, both seekers and land vehicle robots. "I don't think we'll be seeing him again any time soon." There was celebration, as cheers and shouts rose up from the gathered Decepticons; with Jhiaxus defeated, the Liege would no longer be much of a threat to them, at least for the time being.</p><p>Still, Starscream couldn't help but feel that the Liege was not going to give up so easily; the war lord would bide his time, and then seek revenge upon them when they least expected it.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Over the following weeks, the Decepticons made Kolkular their new base of operations. The construction robots, who had since selected a name for themselves as a tribute to their new allegiance – <em>Constructicons</em> – helped redesign and enhance much of the base to suit their new factions' needs. They proved to be highly skilled in their work, and had very quickly earned the respect and admiration of the warriors.</p><p>Neither the Liege, nor Jhiaxus, had made an appearance since the takeover, and this had increasingly bothered Starscream. Then, just before he was about to suggest that they put together a small team to track them down, Sentinel Prime contacted them, requesting to speak with the Decepticon leader.</p><p>"I don't trust him," Starscream immediately proposed.</p><p>"Neither do I, Starscream. Nevertheless, let's hear what he has to say," Megatron replied, and indicated towards the main view screen in their newly upgraded control room. "Soundwave, put him through."</p><p>The image of Sentinel Prime appeared instantly on the main screen. He had recovered from their last encounter and appeared to be in fine form. A requiem blaster had replaced the fusion cannon that had previously occupied a place upon his shoulder. "You have done well, Megatron," he began in greeting. "I must commend you for your achievements. It was a mistake to have underestimated you, a mistake that I will not make again."</p><p>Megatron stood in front of the display screen, his arms crossed in front of him. Starscream stood to his left. "That is not the reason for your request to speak with me, Sentinel Prime. Why don't you get straight to the point?" the Decepticon leader replied, completely unamused by the Prime's attempts at flattery. Starscream gave the Autobot leader a smirk.</p><p>Sentinel did his best to ignore the Air Commander. "Very well," he said, smiling graciously. "I simply wanted to extend the offer of a peace treaty between the Autobots, and your… <em>Decepticons</em>," he said the last word in emphasis, as if it were the first time he had uttered it. "I think that it would be of mutual benefit, particularly considering that the Liege has made it known to me of his intentions to reclaim his territory."</p><p>This was news to them. If Sentinel was speaking the truth, it would be an offer worth accepting. There was no doubt that the Liege planned to retake Kaon, or at least attempt to annihilate his former base and, along with it, every Decepticon within it. Megatron considered what Sentinel had just told him, and walked closer to the view screen. "What guarantee do I have that this isn't some sort of trick?"</p><p>Sentinel looked at him quizzically from the other side of the communications link, and then gave him a soft chuckle. "You are so very predictable. Very well," he said, and then signalled for some of his guards off screen to step forwards. As Sentinel stepped aside, Prowl and another Autobot came into view. A Destron was being held between them, and he appeared to be off-line. He was in restraints, and he looked like he had suffered a severe beating; his face and armour looked rough and he was covered in abrasions. "Does this help put your concerns at ease?" Sentinel said, reappearing on screen.</p><p>Starscream stepped closer towards the view screen, his optics widened in shock. "Jhiaxus…"</p><p>"Yes. He was captured by the Autobots during a recent confrontation in Iacon. We have interrogated him, but he refuses to divulge the Liege's location," Sentinel said. "Such a shame, don't you think?" When he received no response, he continued. "Allow me to make myself clear. The Autobots won't stop until every Destron is captured. If you want your Decepticons to avoid that fate," he said, indicating Jhiaxus, "then… I would strongly suggest you take up our peace offer."</p><p>Starscream turned towards Megatron and the other Decepticons present in the room. "He's hiding something," he said. "I can sense it; he's lying." But he couldn't explain it.</p><p>Megatron nodded in agreement. "There's certainly no denying it," he replied in a low voice, away from the main screen. "However, it seems that if we refuse his offer, the Autobots will relentlessly drive us out of Kaon, particularly if they enlist the Liege's help; I wouldn't put it past Sentinel." The room was quiet, as Megatron considered their options. Finally, he turned back towards the Prime, who had been waiting patiently. "Then, we have an agreement, and the Autobots will leave us be," he said.</p><p>Sentinel grinned in approval. "I knew you would make the right choice, Megatron," he said, and was just about to deactivate the link when he stopped short, as if he had just remembered something. "Oh… just one more thing," he said, and paused as the Decepticons waited apprehensively to hear what he had to say. "You will come to Iacon unaccompanied. Just as a precautionary measure, you understand?" he finally said, before the screen went blank.</p><p>"That conniving, two-faced aft," Starscream said, exasperated. "Surely you're not going to do as he says, Megatron?"</p><p>"What other choice do I have?" the Decepticon leader replied, turning away discontentedly, and then exited the control room without another word.</p><p> </p><p>* * *</p><p> </p><p>Autobot guards awaited Megatron's arrival in Iacon; they were under instructions to escort him directly to the Command Center. Sentinel seemed eager to welcome him, beckoning the Decepticon leader to follow him until they arrived at the observation deck of the command complex.</p><p>Once they were alone, Sentinel turned to face him. "I must apologize for our little misunderstanding the last time we met," he began. "I was only acting in the best interests of the Autobots. I trust that Starscream has recovered from his… mistreatment at the hands of the Liege?" Megatron did not give him a reply, but remained expressionless, so Sentinel continued. "By the way, has Shockwave managed to build a working model of that inter-dimensional portal the two of you have been working on? I'd be most interested in seeing its development… if you agree, of course?"</p><p>"How do you know about that?" Megatron questioned him. After he had defeated Sentinel and left Iacon to form the Decepticons, Shockwave had taken his research and relocated to Kaon, where they had continued with their work. In fact, the portal was almost complete; in its final stages of development, it only needed some careful fine tuning and testing.</p><p>Sentinel shrugged. "I'd taken an interest in the project well before Shockwave left. I even helped him procure essential components and materials. It was no secret." He walked casually to the railing of the deck, and looked out over Iacon. The street far below was alive with activity, as Autobots went about their daily business. "I won't waste any more of your time, Megatron," he said suddenly. Turning back, his gaze fixed upon the silver and black Decepticon, and he rubbed his chin in thought. "I have a proposition for you – no, consider it an <em>ultimatum</em>."</p><p>"I thought we had an agreement," Megatron said, watching the Prime warily, now on the alert.</p><p>Sentinel let out a derisive laugh. He didn't answer the question, but instead responded with another of his own. "How long have we known each other?" He paused dramatically, waiting for a reply, but he got none. "Do you remember, back in the days when Destrons would do our bidding without question? That was their purpose, the very reason they were created. We were invincible, unstoppable. The entire galaxy would have bowed before us, had things remained the way they were. Instead we have conflict, wars, much chaos. We struggle to hold on to the glory and prosperity that we once had." Sentinel said these words in emphasis, moving slowly closer to his adversary with each step. "Oh, there <em>shall</em> be peace between Destron and Autobot once again. Oh, yes, I guarantee it."</p><p>Megatron stepped back in caution, suddenly realizing what Sentinel was intending – had intended all along. "Peace through tyranny, is that it?" he said slowly, angered.</p><p>"Don't fight it, Megatron. It is your destiny – it always has been," he said. Behind him, a large, menacing robot suddenly jumped down onto the observation deck from his hiding place one level above, and took his place behind the Autobot leader. His large, incurved horns and head formed an ominous outline in the failing light, his fiery red optics piercing pin-points of light. A vengeful growl emanated from somewhere deep within the war lord.</p><p>The Decepticon leader knew that this time he was outmatched. Sentinel summoned his guards, who had been standing nearby. "Take this Destron away!"</p><p>The Autobots, pointing their weapons towards him, came up quickly behind him and forcibly took hold of his arms. Megatron looked towards Sentinel and the Liege, as they taunted him, the Liege mocking him, chortling maliciously. "As long as a divide exists between Autobots and Destrons, you shall never have your peace," he promised Sentinel, before he was led away.</p><p> </p><p>* * *</p><p> </p><p>"Something's wrong," Starscream said to Skywarp, as he and his trine mates made their way to Shockwave's recently constructed laboratory in Kolkular. "Megatron should have contacted us by now."</p><p>It had been more than a day since the Decepticon leader had departed for Iacon; he had promised to let Soundwave know as soon as his business with Sentinel was concluded, but the communications expert had not received a word from him. Starscream had inquired repeatedly, to the point of harassment, but Soundwave had remained patient with the Air Commander, all the while respecting his place as second in command of the Decepticons.</p><p>Shockwave was in his laboratory, just as Starscream had predicted. He strode into his work area without warning, and stood in front of the purple Decepticon. "Shockwave," he addressed him, but the guardian had been intensely focused on his work, and did not look up straight away. "Shockwave," he tried again.</p><p>"Yes, Starscream?" he said finally, putting down the data pad that he had been analysing.</p><p>"Have you tested that–" Starscream pointed towards the prototype of the inter-dimensional portal that Shockwave and the Decepticon leader had built together. It didn't look quite the same as the theoretical model he'd seen; to him, it looked more like a circular bridge. "–that <em>space bridge</em> yet?" Starscream finished.</p><p>Shockwave glanced towards the portal to their right. "No," he replied simply.</p><p>"When will it be ready?" the seeker asked, persistent.</p><p>Shockwave gave him an audible sigh, as he calculated the time frame and variables involved in the successful completion and operation of the portal. "It will require several experimental runs before it can be deemed safe enough for operation," he paused, considering the situation. "We could begin the testing within… two days."</p><p>Starscream shook his head in frustration. "That's too long. I want you to test it <em>now</em>!" he demanded.</p><p>Shockwave remained motionless. "That's not recommended. Activating the portal before it's been completely calibrated may cause the containment cells to become unstable. There's no telling what might happen…" He trailed off, unsure of how to convince the seeker that what he was proposing was extremely risky.</p><p>"I know what the risks are," Starscream replied. "I order you to do it!"</p><p>His trine mates looked on in bewilderment at their trine leader's sudden impatience and erratic behaviour. Regardless, they respected his selfless intentions for the Decepticon leader, and wanted to help him.</p><p>"Starscream," Thundercracker spoke up from behind him, "you might want to think about what you're planning on doing."</p><p>Starscream turned towards the blue and grey seeker. "If we don't get to Iacon soon, we might never see Megatron again; you might want to think about <em>that</em>. After all that's happened, I'm not about to just hand him over to Sentinel Prime and the Autobots; there's no telling what they'll do to him."</p><p>As much as Thundercracker didn't like to admit it, Starscream had a point. "We could assemble a team and go to Iacon. Why do we need the portal?" he reasoned.</p><p>"Because, Thundercracker, the Command Center is swarming with Autobots," the Air Commander answered him, "and if Megatron has been captured, there's no way we would be able to bring him back without getting captured ourselves. We need that space bridge so that we can get to wherever he is without warning them of our arrival." Then he addressed all of them. "Unless any of you have a better suggestion?"</p><p>When no one answered, he turned back towards Shockwave. "So, can you do it?"</p><p>The guardian looked towards the space bridge, and then back at their second in command. Finally, he sighed in resignation. "Very well, I will attempt it," he said.</p><p> </p><p>* * *</p><p> </p><p>Megatron had been thrown into a common cell block, where he shared the same space with other Destron prisoners. He slowly picked himself up from the floor, and looked around. The cell itself was divided in the middle by a wall of energy bars; he counted five prisoners on the other side of it, and one other captive who shared his half. He looked down at the jet, who was seated against the metallic wall, his yellow and white frame and face just as battered as Megatron remembered seeing him the previous day on the view screen.</p><p>Jhiaxus slowly turned his head to the Decepticon leader, and let out a contemptuous laugh. "So… the great Decepticon leader… captured by Autobots," he said, his voice raspy.</p><p>Megatron turned away from him, as he studied their prison. "You're one to talk."</p><p>Jhiaxus remained silent for a long while, observing his fellow inmate, before speaking again. "I must say, I immensely enjoyed turning your Air Commander over to the Liege…" When he did not get a reaction from the Decepticon leader, he tried again, pushing harder to see if he would break. "I hear the Doctor did quite a number on him. Don't be surprised… if he betrays you… at the most inopportune time… when you least expect it."</p><p>"Shut up," Megatron told him, almost a whisper.</p><p>Jhiaxus laughed at him, louder this time. He seemed to gain strength from the misery of those he despised. "You know, if I were you I'd terminate him before he rips your spark out with his bare hands while you're recharging–"</p><p>Megatron moved over to him and pointed his fusion cannon in his face. "I said, <em>shut up</em>," he repeated, "before I tear out <em>your</em> spark and shove it up your aft port." Megatron's optics glowed with anger, and Jhiaxus quietened down; he could see that Megatron meant what he said, and did not particularly want the Decepticon leader to make good on his promise.</p><p>Once he had regained his composure, Megatron stepped away from him, but then stopped short as he heard heavy footsteps approaching.</p><p>It was the Liege. At first, Megatron thought that he may have come for Jhiaxus, either to release him, or perhaps to punish him – he couldn't say for sure. The imposing war lord deactivated the door to the cell block, and stepped inside. As the door closed behind him, Megatron understood why Starscream had been so afraid of him. The Liege's superior strength and armour looked impenetrable, and he literally had no need of any weapons, though he did carry a saber.</p><p>Liege Maximus turned his attention upon him, his voice a low rumble. "I've come for you," he said, and before Megatron had time to respond, the Liege grabbed a hold of him and lifted him up high above the floor. "I shall enjoy watching you writhe in anguish as I rip you to shreds," he threatened, and struck his face with a closed fist. The Liege rasped in pleasure, as he released his grip on the Decepticon leader, sending him tumbling to the floor. Then, as Megatron began to pick himself up, he was subjected to another violent blow, as the Liege exacted his revenge upon his adversary without remorse.</p><p>From the other side of the cell block, one of the Destrons spoke up in his defence. "Hey, leave him alone!" He watched the assault through the bars, his four team mates standing behind him.</p><p>The Liege turned his head slowly towards them and growled. Then, in a show of superiority and strength, he placed his hands upon two of the energy bars that divided the cell block between them, and absorbed the energy. The bars began to lose power, until they were finally deactivated.</p><p>"Oh, scrap!" one of the other Destrons commented, as they stepped back and away from the war lord, who now had free access to them.</p><p>The Liege charged at them, leaping forwards and slashing at them with his beast-like claws. Megatron, having recovered from the recent attack, was determined to stop him from making a gruesome example out of the Destrons, as the war lord was known to do with his enemies. In one way, Starscream had been very fortunate, considering what may have happened to him. "It's me you want," he said, loud enough for the Liege to hear him, "not them."</p><p>The Liege slowly turned back around to face him, an evil leer crossing his features. He clenched his fists in anticipation, and then rushed forwards, fully intent upon punishing the Decepticon leader for having taken over his base of operations in Kaon.</p>
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<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Almost two hours passed before Shockwave would allow the space bridge to be powered up for its first activation sequence. He turned to Starscream, who had re-entered the laboratory with Soundwave after Shockwave had informed him that it was almost time. "We'll need to lock in a set of co-ordinates," he explained, "for the destination."</p><p>They had no sure way of knowing exactly where their leader was located, and could only assume that, if he was being held in Iacon against his will, he would most likely be found in one of the cell blocks. "Can it send us inside the Command Center in Iacon?" Starscream said without hesitation.</p><p>Shockwave input a set of commands into the space bridge's control interface, and gave the Air Commander a definitive nod when he was done. Then he pressed a button, and one of the bridge's side panels slid open. He indicated for Starscream and his trine mates to step inside.</p><p>The seeker didn't hesitate, as he did not expect failure; he was too intent on accomplishing his mission. His wing mates followed his lead and, once they were inside the platform, Shockwave closed the panel again. "There's no telling how long the portal will remain open," he informed the second in charge. "Also, bidirectional activation has not yet been configured. If successful, I will reopen the portal in precisely fifteen astro-cycles from the moment you arrive in Iacon. When it activates, you must be ready to return," the guardian finished, a hint of nervousness in his voice.</p><p>"We'll be ready," Starscream replied. Then, the other Decepticons watched in silence as the space bridge powered up. After a few moments, a powerful column of energy engulfed the three seekers. It remained active for no more than five seconds, before it finally collapsed.</p><p>The Air Commander and his team mates were nowhere to be seen.</p><p> </p><p>* * *</p><p> </p><p>The five Destrons watched in horror, unable to do anything to help Megatron. The Liege had been merciless in his assault, punishing him with his bare hands, beating him until the prisoner could no longer stand.</p><p>The Decepticon leader had sustained damage to the point that he could not fight back or defend himself, and he lay on the floor of the cell block, his consciousness beginning to drift. He could sense Jhiaxus nearby, and imagined the Liege's former second in command enjoying his defeat, ridiculing him. But none of that mattered now. All he could think about was finding some way to warn the other Decepticons back in Kaon, before Sentinel Prime and the Liege destroyed them all. With the two of them now working together, they would be unstoppable, and no Decepticon – or Destron – was safe.</p><p>"I shall return to finish you off," he barely heard the war lord say. "Reluctantly, Sentinel wishes to keep you alive, for a little while longer." Then, after what felt like an eternity, the cell block was quiet again, and Megatron allowed himself to go off-line so that his repair mechanisms could work faster, though he was unsure whether he would get enough time to sufficiently recover before the Liege returned for him.</p><p>The five Destron prisoners, who had been watching the ordeal from the other side of the cell block, cautiously moved closer towards the fallen Decepticon, until they were surrounding him. One of them, a purple and yellow Destron, knelt beside Megatron to examine him, and shook his head. "He saved our lives. I wish there was something we could do for him."</p><p>Then, before he could say anything more, they all heard footsteps fast approaching from outside the cell block and froze, waiting to see who it was.</p><p> </p><p>* * *</p><p> </p><p>Starscream's first experience through the still-experimental space bridge was surreal. In an instant, he felt himself tumbling to the floor as the column of energy expelled him forcefully upon closing. He shook his head, trying to regain his sense of balance, and slowly looked around him as he picked himself up. It looked as though the space bridge had been a success. Other than his two trine mates, he was alone; they had been deposited in the hallway just outside the Command Center's control room.</p><p>"You did it, Shockwave," he thought out loud, with a smile. "Ingenious!" He couldn't wait to tell the other Decepticons about it, but that would have to wait – right now, they had a more pressing matter to deal with. He remembered what the guardian had told him, and began an internal count down; they only had fifteen minutes to find Megatron and return him safely to Kaon.</p><p>Starscream began moving down the hallway, Thundercracker and Skywarp following closely behind. Then, when he was certain that no Autobots would see them, he broke into a run and headed for the elevator platform that would take them straight down to the base level, where the cell blocks were located.</p><p>As the three of them stepped off the platform, three Autobots rounded the corner and halted when they saw the seekers. They began to draw their weapons, but the Air Commander was already one step ahead, and blasted one of them with his arm mounted null rays, effectively disabling him as his circuitry was disrupted. At the same time, Thundercracker and Skywarp took care of the other two with their blasters.</p><p>"Sorry about that; it's nothing personal," Skywarp quipped, as the Autobots fell to the floor in a pile.</p><p>Starscream and his wing mates sprinted past them, and continued on until the cell blocks came into view. At first, he was disappointed; Megatron did not appear to be in any of them. Then, taking a closer look, he finally saw the Decepticon leader. He was surrounded by five Destrons who he knew quite well, though hadn't seen in a long time. Beside them sat Jhiaxus, who was conscious but unmoving.</p><p>Starscream deactivated the cell door with a blast of his weapon to the control panel, and rushed inside the cell.</p><p>The Destrons gave him room, allowing him to approach his mentor, and the Air Commander looked down upon them in shock, as he saw the critical condition that Megatron was in. Angered, he demanded answers from the Destrons. "Onslaught, Vortex – what have you done to him?"</p><p>The purple and yellow one, who was called Swindle, held out his hands in an attempt to calm the seeker. "It wasn't us, Starscream. I swear!"</p><p>Starscream glanced back at the Liege's second in command. "It couldn't have been Jhiaxus!" he exclaimed, gesturing towards him.</p><p>Swindle shook his head. "No, but it wasn't us. It was…" He faltered, appearing anxious, and looked up uncertainly at the other two Decepticon seekers who had accompanied the Air Commander.</p><p>Starscream knelt down towards Megatron. He held him, examining him for any sign that he still functioned. "He's off-line," he said, momentarily glancing up at the Destrons before refocusing his attention upon his mentor. "Megatron… Megatron!"</p><p>Megatron gave no response. Starscream silently promised that he would deal with whoever had done this later; but, right now, he needed to get the Decepticon leader back to Kaon. "You've got to help us get him out of here. Quickly, we don't have much time," he said to the Destrons, as he began to lift Megatron to his feet.</p><p>The team of five looked at one another, hesitating, and then Swindle shrugged, prodding his team mates. "Come on, you heard Starscream," he said to them, as he helped steady the Decepticon leader. Then, as Thundercracker and Skywarp ensured that their path was clear, Starscream and the Destrons headed back to the control room, Megatron with them.</p><p>They had made it almost all the way back, when Sentinel suddenly appeared in front of them, blocking their path. He was accompanied by a team of Autobot guards. "Starscream," he greeted, "so glad you could join us." On the surface he appeared to be calm, composed, but beneath his exterior was a very different story.</p><p>"You are going to pay for this, Sentinel Prime," the Air Commander warned him. He felt a rage that he had not experienced before, one that threatened to overwhelm him as he struggled to keep it under control.</p><p>Sentinel laughed at him. "He deserved what he got; him and the rest of you pathetic Decepticons," he taunted, glancing at the other two seekers. "Do you really think I'm just going to let you all walk out of here?"</p><p>"Let them go… Sentinel," Megatron interjected, his voice unsteady. He had regained consciousness a few moments earlier, but was still extremely weak and found it an effort to talk.</p><p>Sentinel shook his head, and then stepped towards the Decepticon leader until they were face to face. "Oh, no, no, no – that would be too easy. You see, there is only one way that we will ever be able to achieve peace on this planet…" he said to him, his words deliberate. "And it begins with removing the two of you." Sentinel turned slowly towards the Air Commander, a hateful grin spreading across his face. Then, he retrieved his requiem blaster from its shoulder mount and charged it up as it made an ominous whirring sound in his hands.</p><p>"No…" Megatron uttered, as he attempted to stand on his own without support. With every ounce of strength that he could muster, he lunged forward into Sentinel, who stumbled backwards as the blaster released a deadly pulse of anti-matter. The lethal blast missed its target, making a clean hole in the ceiling. They both fell to the floor, but Sentinel recovered quickly. He stood over Megatron and aimed his weapon down at him.</p><p>Before Sentinel could discharge a fatal shot, Starscream tried to distract him, stepping in front of them. He ignored the Autobot guards who also had their weapons raised towards him, ready for Sentinel to give them the signal. "You're a dirty, double-crossing slag-sucker!" Starscream insulted him.</p><p>The Autobot leader slowly aimed his blaster away from Megatron and towards the Air Commander. "Perhaps you'd like to be the first?" he replied simply.</p><p>Megatron, who was watching the exchange, blasted Sentinel in the foot with his fusion cannon, just as the Prime released another pulse from his blaster. It missed the seeker by a narrow margin and, as Sentinel struggled to regain his balance, Starscream made his move. He burst forward in a sudden rush, knocking Sentinel backwards into the Autobot guards. Amidst the confusion, the requiem blaster was knocked out of the Prime's hands, and it clattered to the floor beside Megatron, who picked it up.</p><p>The very next moment, a sudden flash of energy appeared just behind the Destrons, and they stepped away in surprise.</p><p>Starscream turned to look. "The space bridge!" he exclaimed and, turning his attention away from Sentinel, he grabbed Megatron by the arm and pulled him towards the column of energy. "Hurry!"</p><p>"Wait…" Megatron said, before turning back towards Sentinel. "Whatever Maximus has promised you, is it truly worth it?" </p><p>"Come on, there's no time!" Starscream told him, forcing him inside the space bridge portal. He looked back towards the Destrons. "Are you five going to just stand there, or are you coming with us?" he asked them and, without waiting for their reply, stepped into the space bridge and disappeared, Thundercracker and Skywarp following right behind him.</p><p> </p><p>* * *</p><p> </p><p>The rest of the Decepticons, who had all gathered in the laboratory, waited anxiously for Starscream and the others to reappear through the space bridge. When they finally did, they watched in surprise as Megatron materialized inside the column, followed by the Air Commander and his trine mates, as they were thrown to the floor of the space bridge. Three seconds later, five other Destrons also made it through before the column finally collapsed.</p><p>"You did it, Screamer. I can't believe you did it!" Thundercracker said to his trine leader, as he helped his friend up.</p><p>"What the hell happened over there?" Scrapper asked the Decepticon leader, grabbing hold of one of his arms. "You look like you fell into a trash compactor."</p><p>"Close enough," Megatron replied, as he allowed one of the other Constructicons to examine the extent of his damage.</p><p>"<em>You</em> are out of action, until I fix you," Hook told him, in no uncertain terms.</p><p>Megatron waived it aside. "Later," he said, to Hook's chagrin, and then looked down at the requiem blaster still in his hand. It had more than likely been destroyed and was no longer functional, due to the incompatibility of its anti-matter chamber with the multi-dimensional stream of the space bridge. He handed the weapon to Hook, who studied it with interest.</p><p>Meanwhile, Starscream welcomed the new Decepticons. "What were you doing in Iacon, anyway?" he asked Onslaught, the largest, and leader, of the group.</p><p>"Why don't you ask <em>them</em>?" he said simply, indicating his team mates.</p><p>One of them, Blast Off, spoke up. "Oh, you know; the usual. Getting on the wrong side of the law. No thanks to Swindle, of course."</p><p>"Hey, it wasn't my idea to challenge the Autobots to a death-match," Swindle defended, looking towards Brawl, his team mate.</p><p>"Don't look at me," Brawl replied. "Vortex started it."</p><p>Starscream shook his head in amusement. "You really need to find yourselves a new pastime." He had known the five of them since the days before Tarn and, despite their unpopularity with the Autobots and Destrons alike, he had always remained friends with them.</p><p>As they talked, Megatron approached Shockwave, who was busy analysing the data from the results of their first successful test. "I see you've managed to get the space bridge working," he said, using the term that Starscream had coined for the portal earlier.</p><p>Shockwave nodded in satisfaction. "It is, indeed, functional."</p><p>"Megatron," a familiar voice said from behind him, and the Decepticon leader turned to greet his communications officer.</p><p>"What is it, Soundwave?"</p><p>"Lord Straxus wishes to speak with you," he said, relaying the message to his superior.</p><p>Megatron hesitated. He had had enough excitement for one day, and was still in a much weakened state after his encounter with the Liege. All in all, however, he was satisfied with the way things had ultimately turned out, despite the close calls. "Straxus can wait." He paused, and then added. "Oh, and Soundwave?"</p><p>"Yes, Megatron?"</p><p>“We’re going to need a new emblem – one that represents the Decepticons. Any suggestions?”</p><p>"Yes, Megatron. I'll see what I can do," Soundwave replied, and then watched the Decepticon leader walk out of the laboratory to get his much needed recharge.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Epilogue</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>On Cybertron, they say that history is recorded by those who are in power. In my experience, this has been largely true.</em>
</p><p><em>Sentinel Prime recovered from the damage he sustained from the requiem blaster, and eventually was replaced as leader of the Autobot forces by a new Prime.</em> <em> As for the Liege, he left Cybertron and wasn't seen again until much later, but that's another story. However, their legacy of war, and their lust for power and domination, has remained with us to this day… as the Autobots and the Decepticons remain locked in bitter conflict.</em></p><p>
  <em>After Jhiaxus had been betrayed by the Liege, he took command of his own forces and went on to conquer many of his enemies, though he stayed well clear of Decepticon territory. Eventually, his relentless ambition for more power became an all consuming need that drove him ever closer to the edge of insanity. Whether he ever reached the point of no return, no one really knows.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Over time, the Decepticon name became legendary, and many stories have been told of our conquests, though many of them are, for the most part, untrue. Most, if not all, Destrons swore their allegiance to our faction, though they did so for less than admirable reasons; just because one carries the Decepticon badge, does not make one a Decepticon.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>On Cybertron, they say that truth is stranger than fiction… and, in my experience at least, this has also been largely true.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>After a long search for the place where I truly belonged, I finally found it amongst the Decepticons. However, my experiences with the Liege have left me with an internal struggle that, at times, still gets the better of me… though, for the most part, I have learned to keep it under control. If given the chance to relive those events all over again, however, I would not change a thing.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I have always been a seeker of truth. That is what we Decepticons stand for; truth, but also freedom, the right to be who we want to be. Of course, if you were to ask the Autobots what we stand for, well… I don't doubt that they will tell you something completely different. You can choose to believe their story, or not; either way, it doesn't really matter.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The truth will always prevail… in the end.</em>
</p><p>Starscream, Decepticon Air Commander</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed this story and would like to read more, please check out the other episodes in this series, beginning with <em>The Nemesis Army Part 1</em>.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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